Walk of Life – Day 15 – September 2020 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,  but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15.13

Yesterday we learnt the recipe of a sound heart, today let us understand the recipe of a happy heart. A happy heart is rooted in the attitude of gratitude or in the spirit of thankfulness. It is truly the secret weapon of a cheerful and happy Christian.

How do I inculcate the attitude of gratitude? The more thankful you are, the more happier you will be.

In a happy marriage relationship, your love after 15 to 20 years of marriage is definitely more than the love that you had in the beginning of your relationship. The main reason being you are grateful for all the times he put up with you, all the times he took care of you, all the ways he helped in parenting the children, the meals he cooked for you…the list is endless. The more the number of reasons to be grateful, the more happy you are in your relationship. Similarly, the more reasons you have to be thankful to God the more is your joy in the Lord.

In relationships with others, whenever I feel envious or jealous of someone else, I begin to count my own blessings. When I see that God has blessed me and taken care of all my needs, I feel content and happy and willingly forgive any anger or resentment against another person. Try these simple action items to have a joyful heart.

• Begin writing in a joy journal. Every day, before you go to bed, list down a few good things the Lord did for you that day. In days you are really down, this may be tough but still try to jot down at least three things. When you look back at your journal, you will realize how many things the Lord has blessed you with.
• In I Thessalonians 5:18, the Apostle Paul says “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” In every situation, whether good or bad, find one thing to give thanks to God for. It may be the happiest of situations or the most difficult of situations but there will surely be something to thank God for.
• Always look for the silver lining. You are not very happy with your job, list the good things about your job. You are feeling sick and hospitalized, be grateful that you are being cared for by qualified staff. Every cloud definitely has a silver lining rather than being sorrowful about the cloud, look out for the silver lining…there is always hope in every situation.
• While praying always learn to say thank you to the Lord before listing out your petitions.
• Try the Thanksgiving special, on any special day, list out 100 things to be thankful for throughout the year. You may be baffled at 20 to 30. But as you look at all those tiny tiny blessings in life, I am sure you will reach 100.

It really works, so do try it. A thankful heart is a happy heart. Heartache crushes the spirit. When you learn to be grateful for everything, you will not allow hurt to break you apart. Horatio Spafford wrote this well-loved hymn in the most difficult of circumstances. He lost all his four daughters in a shipwreck and at the very same spot where the shipwreck happened, he wrote the lyrics to this song:

“When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say,

“It is well, it is well with my soul!”

Your joy in Christ should never depend on circumstances…it should depend on your hope and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then you will always have a happy heart and consequently a cheerful countenance.