[Transcript may not match broadcasted sermon word for word]

Happiness Point #124: Things That Pop in Your Head Aren’t Always from God

       Fear can be a driving force. We can be afraid of all sorts of things. Fear can be present that we aren’t pleasing God, that we aren’t doing what we are supposed to be doing, that we aren’t living up to where we really should be in life. And fear can be powerful. Through fear, we can develop incorrect beliefs whereby we make decisions that are not really good for us. They may seem good at the time, but later we find out that they aren’t that good. No, our fear had deceived us into making a decision that really wasn’t beneficial for us. That’s what fear can do.

       So, the key to protect our happiness is to realize that when are minds are full of fear, then something is wrong. Remember, the Apostle John has taught us that prefect love casts out the fear from our minds. So, if our minds are full of fear, then what is going on? Making decisions out of fear will usually turn out to be wrong later. I mean, in making decisions out of lack. Sure, we do want to protect ourselves from sin and whatnot, but even with that we need to be careful. Our minds can become convinced that God wants us to do something, wants us to go in a certain direction, or whatever, and really it is just fear that has boiled up inside of our minds and is trying to rule us.

       Remember then, when we are making a decision out of positive thoughts, out of an unclouded mind, then we know we are on the right track toward greater happiness. When we feel inspired, this is a good sign that we should act, a good sign that we should go in this or that direction. It is when we are hesitant and not sure that we need to step back and think. We need to hold off making any decision because we don’t have clarity. Clarity of mind is what we want. And it’s through this type of decision making process that will really yield that happiness that we want in our lives.

Happiness Point #125: Simple Experiences are the Essence of Life

       I’ve done a lot of things of my life. I’ve seen a lot, been to a lot of different places. When I review all of this in my mind, the things that stick out to me are those that had personal meaning to me. They are the things that are tied into what I like, what I care about. They are things closest to my heart. I think we’re always thinking that there will be some grand thing that we will do that will bump us up to the next level of fulfillment. But experientially, I have found this not to be the case. Nah, it is a series of smaller things, I guess I would call them, that stick out the most. Most of us have good experiences, and it is from remembering these experiences that we derive happiness.

       Let me go over some experiences I have had so you can relate and see what I am talking about. This is some of my personal list:

• I remember when I was 3 and 4 years old, and I would watch Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. It was my favorite show, and I even ended up filming my own version of it as a young child with our old 1980s large video camera.
• When I was 9 years old, my family took a trip to San Diego. We went every night to Pizza Hut to get some pizza because that’s what we all wanted. While we were eating pizza, we watched Knight Rider which was on one of the local channels there. A treat for us since the show hadn’t been on at home for years.
• I recall sitting on the metal bleachers in my high school days watching our football team do very well. Looked forward in the fall to Friday nights and being at the games. Great times.
• As a young college kid, I went with some friends to a Cincinnati Reds game. There I met a famous actor who played Lex Luthor, and shook his hand. He starred in what would become one of my favorite TV shows of all time, Smallville.
• I can remember being 21 years old and seeing the West for the first time. Seeing Arizona and New Mexico, and the beauty of the desert. Can’t forget the Grand Canyon.
• I was fortune to tour the grounds of NASA, see the launch pads up close, stand in launch control, and actually gaze up into the Vehicle Assembly building. Quite humbling stuff.
• On a beautiful spring day, I visited the the home of one of the most important founders of our country, Thomas Jefferson. I walked the grounds of Monticello and took in all the sights.
• I was within inches of the crystals that everyone has seen in the first Superman movie from 1978. There they were, right before my eyes, after seeing that beloved movie so many times.

Yes, indeed, these are just some of the things that I remember. It hasn’t necessarily been all the big things in life that have defined life’s happiness.

Happiness Point #126: Don’t Think About Important Things Right Before Bedtime

       We are all rolling over important things in our minds. At least, things we think are important. Sometimes, as the evening is closing, it can be difficult to put those things down. We just want to keep thinking about them. Even as we lay our heads down to sleep, it can be difficult to shut the thoughts off. We can’t make good decisions when our brains aren’t at full power. You wouldn’t try to cut your grass if you didn’t have but only a little gas in the tank, or drive to work if your car had it a problem where it couldn’t go over 25 miles per hour. So, in the same way, we need to be smart about how we think.

       The problem is, when we think about important things right before bed, we often aren’t thinking straight. We might come to conclusions that are wrong. So, we need to learn to decide beforehand that we aren’t going to think about anything during these times because it’s not going to be fruitful for us anyway.

Happiness Point #127: Not Caring Equals True Confidence

       When we are all stressed out, we all have things that we are intensely focused on. That is what is causing the stress—we want things to go a certain way. We are afraid of an outcome that we don’t like. What we have to do is dial things back a bit. We need to learn that true confidence comes from our ability not to care so much, or not to care too much. Another way we could look at it is not to magnify our problems so much that they become larger than life. Problems can become much bigger than they really are, and this occurs inside of our minds.

       So, how do we learn not to care so much, or to not over-care? Well, it all comes down to being surrendered in everything. When we are surrendered, we have humbled ourselves. We have made it so that we are not stuck on a fixed outcome in a given situation. We are surrendered in something when we know we will be at peace no matter what the outcome. For some things, that will take a little bit of surrendering our thoughts, one by one. We need to able to give up the desire on anything. We can safely do this because we know, at the end of the day, that “All that matters is God.”

       In giving up control of something, we have to say, “God, I’m okay if this happens the way I want it to, and I am okay if it doesn’t.” It doesn’t mean he always will do what we want, but he will a lot of times when we are surrendered. We have cast our care on him, as he has told us to do. We aren’t holding anything up as too important. This shows our confidence in God, and really in ourselves. We are confident that God loves us no matter what, and we are confident in ourselves in that we know we will be okay no matter what happens.

       In our minds, it is easy to come up with expectations of what we desire from other people. We can come up with beliefs that people should treat us a certain way. When they don’t, we get upset. But, we don’t get upset if we are surrendered. It makes it so that we aren’t too attached to what people think of us, or of what they might do for us or against us. And, if we don’t care, when people say things against us it will go in one ear and out the other. This is because we have our happiness in God, not people.

Happiness Point #128: The Tripod of Success: Desire, Ability, & Opportunity

       Really, at the end of the day, there are three things that need to be present in order for us to be successful at anything. I want us to go over these one by one, so that we understand the concept. This can also work as a filter to see if we are in God’s will for our lives. These three things will be present when we are on the right track with anything. Even if one of them is absent, we know that this path we are on, or are about to embark upon, is the incorrect path. So, let’s go over these three things: desire, ability, and opportunity.

       First and foremost, before we should do anything in life, there must be the desire from our hearts to start doing it. Sounds basic, yet, it’s something we need to understand. We can be presented with all sorts of paths. I certainly have been in the course of my life so far. There is one path someone says we should go, and then there is another path. In all of this, however, this is one thing that needs to be present within us in order for us to successfully go down that path. And that is, desire. Do we have the desire to really want to do this thing? Does it come from our hearts? Or, are we just doing it to impress other people, or because we believe we are commanded from the Bible to do it? Those foundations won’t work long-term. Anytime God wants us to do something, he gives us the desire to do that very thing.

       Second, to be good at doing whatever it is, we need to have the ability. Are we able to do it? Do have particular talent in doing whatever it is. A good way to gauge that if you’re really not sure, or if you’re doubtful of your own abilities, is to ask someone. Or, have people told you over the years that you're good at this particular thing? Do you find yourself enjoying your time whenever you are doing it? Do you have the drive to do it more and more? If so, sounds like you have the ability.

       Third, there needs to be the opportunity for whatever it is. Sure, we can have the desire to do something. And, we can also have the ability to do it. But, do we have the opportunity? Opportunity is something that God often provides for us. We may have the desire and ability, and be praying for God to present the opportunity. Sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn’t. If there is no opportunity, then how can we do what we originally have thought up to do? We can’t. There has to be that opportunity. When opportunity comes, we know God is guiding us.

Happiness Point #129: The Reason Christianity is So Good

       Humans have one thing that we all fear. At least that’s my understanding. According to what appears to be a general consensus from psychologists, there is one thing people fear more than any other thing. Do you know what that is? Well, death of course. Whether the psychologist is coming from an evolutionary perspective or some other perspective, that seems to be the common consensus. It is interesting because I was listening to a Bible teacher not too long ago talk about this concept. When he posed the question of what he personally thought all human fear tied back to, he concluded that it was probably death. So, interestingly, he agreed with a lot of psychologists even though I don’t think he knows a whole lot about psychology.

       But, yes, this is my personal belief as well. All humans fear not being able to live any longer. At least, that’s what they initially fear. And it’s this very question that Christianity, interestingly enough, solves. For sure. Christianity fixes this problem with the human psyche. How does it do that? Well, it does that because we know that when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior that we lose, or should lose, the fear of death right from the start. We understand that, as a Christian, death means we go somewhere better. Hell is eliminated from the picture. This allows us to live our lives freely without this fear any longer. Quite an incredible thing that gives us a lot of happiness at the same time.

       Jesus conquered death the Bible tells us, and so we will conquer it too. Incredible stuff. I think all humans from birth have the fear of death lurking around in the back of their minds. There is always that fear that you could die at any time, and life would end. Everything you’ve done would come to an end, all that you’ve accumulated, and all the relationships you know would end. Empty and scary stuff for the person who has no hope—for the person who doesn’t know Jesus. Sure, we could believe in some mystical hope that everything will work out. But if it’s not based on truth, like the Bible for the Christian, a person cannot really know for sure. And if they cannot really know, how is that something worth betting your life on?

       The beautiful thing is that when a person no longer fears death because they have accepted Jesus, that person can have peace of mind to live life to its fullest extent. The biggest fear of all, the fear from which all other fear seems to take its root, is gone. So peace can flow forth like a steady stream. This is why Christianity really gives life. I do not believe a person can truly be at peace with the fear of death bouncing around in their heads, that uncertainty about the future. That being the case, why not choose to believe in Jesus today? Why not gain that peace of mind once and for all? Why not lay that foundation from which all happiness can now flow? This is how true happiness can be gained.

Happiness Point #130: God Really is Like Mister Rogers

       Jesus told us on more than one occasion that we are to shine our lights before others. We all know that. Well, there was one particular guy that we are all familiar with who accomplished just that (at least, most of us are familiar with him; some younger people might not know who he is). Well, who I am talking about is Fred Rogers, who is more commonly known as Mr. Rogers. Indeed, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was one of my favorite TV shows growing up as a kid, if not my most favorite. I adored that show, and I’d have to say it was probably my favorite especially when was like three or four years old in the late 80s.

       We can remember about Mr. Rogers that he was always saying, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” Yes, he was neighbor focused. That’s interesting because Jesus told us in the second greatest commandment that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Mr. Rogers was always eager to invite the TV viewer into his home, to befriend that person. I think he made a lot of children his friends. I know he did for me. And Jesus even taught us that one needs to become like a little child if one ever wants to be close to God. Remember that? So, Mr. Rogers provided us a good example of how one should treat his neighbors, how one should be kind and show hospitality toward them.

       But, really, I think there is more to Mr. Rogers than that. One thing I believe we can note about him is that he really was an imitator of God as Paul told us to do. Now, one might say, “Well, sounds good. But Mr. Rogers didn’t show the judgment side of God. He didn’t demonstrate that part. He was all welcoming and friendly. There is much more to God than Mr. Rogers’ character.” Okay, let us examine that. You see, and here I am going to enlighten you on a great truth, and that is that God himself really is just like Mr. Rogers I think. We may read our Bibles and see all that judgement side of God, but there is something we need to note about that.

       You see, all of God’s anger is directed toward sin, right? I mean that’s why God gets upset, right? He gets upset at sin. So, we read our Bibles, probably especially the Book of the Revelation, and think that God has this great judgment side. Well, yes, as long as sin is around he will. But, reading our Bible to the end, we know that sin will one day cease. What does that mean? It means that all God’s anger ceases. Interesting. That being that case, the day will come when all there is with God’s character are the attributes we personally like—those which we adore in fact, just like it will be with us. That’s all that will be displayed. In that case, we find that God really is like Mr. Rogers afterall, that Mr. Rogers really modeled how God really is. And with that, my friends, we can rest and be happy.

Conclusion

       Well, that concludes our happiness points. We went over 130 of them, and indeed, I still had more I could do. We just ran out of time unfortunately. I could go on and on, but I think we got through the essential ones, or at least, essential ones that we can use to make our lives better.

       In finishing up, one thing I would note is that before any real, genuine happiness can ever occur, one needs to be in right relationship with God. Yes, that is where true happiness begins. Without being in that right relationship, as I just talked about a little bit ago, no one can really have that foundation, that trust, that peace residing inside their minds. When we know God, everything else is secondary. We know that truly, no matter what happens, everything will be okay for us. We are guaranteed to go to Heaven. And one gains this guarantee by believing in and trusting in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

       You see, Jesus came to earth, some 2,000 years ago, and died on the cross to make any one of us right with God. The sins we’ve committed were placed on him so that he would bear the penalty for them instead of us. If we trust in his death on our part, we can no longer be held guilty for any of our sins against God. And, Jesus rose from the dead and now lives in Heaven with God. Because he rose, God promises that anyone who believes in his resurrection will themselves be resurrected from the dead one day. This is a tremendous truth in that we will have a new body one day after we die. So, by trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can live new lives in God, lives of happiness that last forever.

- Daniel Litton