Sub-Total: $0.00
Life’s circumstances don’t have to be happy for us to be happy.
Do you believe that sentence? If not, then this post is for you.
Today in my Proverbs 31 Devotion, The Perfect Medicine to Heal a Heart of Negativity, I shared about a time several years ago when my sweet sister Christie was having a serious surgery and the doctor came out to the waiting room and shared some unsettling news. Thankfully Christie is fine today, but the woman I encountered in the hospital that day whose heart was happy even though her circumstances weren’t, taught me a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
Little did I know how learning that lesson years ago would equip me for the circumstances of today, but it’s a lesson we all need to take to heart.
Life is always going to throw us curve balls. There is always going to be suffering of some sort. We will always have to deal with broken hearts, broken dreams, and broken spirits from time to time. But we never have to let our circumstances steal our happiness and joy completely because we always have God’s joy within reach if we choose to reach out for it.
During hard times, the only hope for happiness is the Anchor of our souls.
Life is just too short and precious to spend every day being grumpy, miserable and unhappy, even if our circumstances make it completely justified to do so. In fact, when we find ourselves in extremely hard times, people totally understand if we’re grumpy and downhearted, right? But honestly, who wants to live that way every day?
Not me. I bet you don’t either.
Good news! We don’t have to live an unhappy life just because life’s circumstances are unhappy. Joy comes from keeping our focus on God instead of our circumstances, and fostering a heart full of gratitude for what we do have and how He is meeting our needs, rather than what we don’t have and our perception of unmet needs.
All it takes to kick start a paradigm shift in your brain so you can begin thinking differently, feeling differently and living differently, is to ask God to help you begin a transformation of your mind, and then intentionally choose to be a more optimistic thinker, even if your circumstances remain the same.
Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  (NIV) But I love how the Message Bible words this verse, “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.” Â
Are you bone tired, not just physically but mentally, emotionally and maybe spiritually? Are you fed up living with the false belief that you can’t be happy because your circumstances validate feeling unhappy? Â Are you living each day with a gloom and doom outlook and wish you could change? You can. Radically change the way you’re looking at things, and you and your life will radically change too.
If you’re ready to let God begin changing your life by changing your patterns of thinking, then sign up for my free 5 day Optimist Challenge CLICK HERE.
A positive mind leads to a positive life! Â Think happy!
2 Comments
Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.
Subscribe to Tracie’s Blog
Receive the Living Unbroken Battle Plan Workbook for free if you subscribe to Tracie’s blog today!
Tracie's Books
Let me just say start by saying that I have appreciated your writings over the years on your blog and I am aware of your current story/pain. I know it’s not easy for you either. Today however, this writing strikes a chord in me that is likely a place I need more Light for myself and I’d like to call attention to how this “rule for victorious living” hurts those living in pain. In fact, recently a family member’s response to my sharing a bit of my pain/unchanged circumstances has caused me to think on this very topic and your blog today is simply part of that process. Pretty sure I’m not alone in this way of thinking…that’s why I comment today.
So radical is the operative word in this “formula”? After reading this I’m left with: I must not have been radical enough as I’ve been there, tried that…works for my own transformation in my mind, however I’ve NOT seen it change the circumstances…in fact, it only prolongs the pain as verbal or emotional abuse are then being “tolerated” instead of challenged. This works for daily, ordinary bumps but really is not helpful for those in long term unresolved circumstances (and there are many of us (women especially) in such places). Sure it “helps” but it’s not a magic pill so to speak. I’d like to believe there’s a radical change coming, but I’ve been disappointed too many times so a shift in my expectation eases that grief.
Peace & Love to us both as we seek to find our all in all in Christ Jesus our Savior.
I reply to MelAnn –
I understand and can hear your pain. I too was in a similar frame of mind and my “pain” lasted seven years. It was horrible and I still cringe thinking of that time. When I was going through it I just want a plain out answer to my problem and would get frustrated with devotionals that I read that seemed to easily gloss over a huge and horrible circumstance. Now almost ten years later, I see those years as wasted – wasted on worry, anger and misunderstanding.
Here was my problem: God had told me from the get go that it would be long haul but I fought ever minute of it. God told me his grace was sufficient enough but I told him it was not. God told me he loved me but I told him if he loved me he would rescue me now. It was hard, extremely painful and not something I ever would wish on another.
Looking back, I simply wish I had better perspective and a better heart. I urge you to not waste another day letting this eat at our heart. Life hurts and choosing to look at it negatively simply won’t change your events… but it will change you. Life is so much fuller when we look at the beauty instead of the pain. It is hard but is life changing.
I will pray for you today that God gives you peace in your circumstance and that you find comfort. I will also pray that the end of your situation is near.
Much love to you.