Not Judging the Creator at All, Part 1 (TMF:2430)

Friday, August 30, 2024

Peace to Live By: Not Judging the Creator at All, Part 1 (TMF:2430) - Daniel Litton
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One of the most foundational principles I have found to keeping our happiness, or giving ourselves happiness when we lack it, is to hold to the dictum: “I do not judge the Creator.” Why is this simple statement so helpful? Well, when bad things happen in our lives, let’s face it, there is usually this temptation to blame God for it. We think, “God could of prevented this from happening, and he didn’t. So, he is at fault.” Or, we think, “Why didn’t God help me with this? Why am I in these dyer circumstances? What is wrong with you God.” See what is going on here? We are blaming God for the bad situation we have found ourselves in. Yet, God isn’t the one causing it. If there was ever a person we might think would demonstrate this kind of behavior in the Bible, it is Joseph from the Book of Genesis. Remember the story of Joseph? His father had given him a beautiful, colorful robe, so that he stood out perhaps more than all of his brothers. But one day his brothers, in their jealousy, decided they were going to harm him. The stripped his robe off of him and threw him in a hole. Then, when they saw a group of their enemies coming, they ended up selling him as a slave to those enemies.

Having the Right to Feel Happy? Part 3 (TMF:2429)

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Peace to Live By: Having the Right to Feel Happy? Part 3 (TMF:2429) - Daniel Litton
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Sure, achievement is good. It makes us happy in and of itself. But it’s not all there is to life. Far from it actually. And like I said, no matter what happens in reality we can make the choice to be happy. We can choose to be happy no matter how much work we got done, or didn’t get done. Let me tell you a little secret. No matter what we get accomplished in life, at the end of the day, it doesn’t truly give us fulfilling happiness. Did you hear what I just said? True fulfilling happiness can only come from our relationships with God. Why not from achievements? We all know when we have completed that project, or completed that race, or accomplished some particular goal, we feel happy for a little while and then the happiness slowly but surely leaves us as we start to focus on the next thing. Am I not right in this? What one thing have you achieved in your own life that has given you a sustained, fulfilling happiness? Nothing I would venture to say. Only our relationships with God, right? It is his fellowship that makes us well-pleased.

Having the Right to Feel Happy? Part 2 (TMF:2428)

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Peace to Live By: Having the Right to Feel Happy? Part 2 (TMF:2428) - Daniel Litton
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What happens when we don’t get enough done, or accomplish all that we wanted to accomplish in a given time period, or a given day? Then, we’re not allowed to be happy. After all, we have failed at our objective. We may even call ourselves a loser. Yet, all this is pointless, Our happiness shouldn’t be based on what we get done or what we don’t get done. Sure, we want to do a good job, but it’s just not realistic that things are always going to go smoothly, or even that we are always going to make the right choices. So, why not be happy no matter what happens? A side-effect of getting on a roll and accomplishing more and more is that sometimes we find it hard to stop. We don’t want to stop because we are getting so much done. Well, that could be bad if it takes away from your free time, your time of rest, or if it takes away from your family time. How are you going to be with others and do things if you are always working? Sure, achievement is good. It makes us happy in and of itself. But it’s not all there is to life. Far from it actually.

Having the Right to Feel Happy? Part 1 (TMF:2427)

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Peace to Live By: Having the Right to Feel Happy? Part 1 (TMF:2427) - Daniel Litton
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Let me just state it plainly up front: a lot of people feel their achievements then give them the ‘right’ to feel happy. Under this way of going about things, people think they need to achieve a certain amount, or suffer to a specific degree, and once all of that is done, they then are allowed to feel happy inside of themselves. They are even permitted to spend some time enjoying themselves. I know a lot of people think like this because I use to myself. In fact, I was a chief operator in this direction, behind this way of thinking. I certainly was a supporter of it. But, thankfully, by the grace of God, one day I realized the error of ways, and ever since, I have been able to flow another way, in a different, better direction. For starters, when we think like this it means that when everything goes well, we will then take the time to reward ourselves. Good enough. The problem is, what happens when things don’t go well. What happens when we don’t get enough done, or accomplish all that we wanted to accomplish in a given time period, or a given day? Then, we’re not allowed to be happy. After all, we have failed at our objective.

Consider What Could be Wrong but Isn’t, Part 3 (TMF:2426)

Monday, August 26, 2024

Peace to Live By: Consider What Could be Wrong but Isn’t, Part 3 (TMF:2426) - Daniel Litton
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Plus, there are people don’t believe Jesus is holding everything together. They think they are on their own, that there is no Creator, and that it’s up to them to make things happen. But Divine help is always there. So, a good way for us to re-gain our happiness or just increase it even more, is to consider what could be wrong right now but isn’t wrong. What we will find, in doing this exercise, is that there is more right than there is more wrong. Ever think about that? So, a good way for us to re-gain our happiness or just increase it even more, is to consider what could be wrong right now but isn’t wrong. What we will find, in doing this exercise, is that there is more right than there is more wrong. Ever think about that? Listen to a lot of people speak and you certainly wouldn’t get that impression. Yet, experientially, it is true. There is more right in the world than there is wrong in the world. It’s a beautiful thing. It is displayed for us, right before our eyes, in an easy observation of nature. I mean, look around. You don’t see most of the trees dying, or the animals for that matter. Sure, everything dies some day due to sin, but that’s not the overarching normal. One of these days God is even going to take that part away, the end result of death. So, what we see now is representative of what will be in the future, just without the death.