How to be happy - part 5

Anybody remember "The Serenity Prayer"? God, grant me the grace to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference!! That is a whole pile of truth right there.

How to be happy tip #6 is

Don't try to change the unchangeables. Granted, with God, there are few things that fall into this category. He is in the business of the impossible. And He delights to bring beauty out of ashes. But sometimes what He wants to change is our perspective, not the situation.

For instance, our past. If what's making us depressed is our history of past failures, we need to adjust. Our perspective - not our past. It's an unchangeable. But the way we view it isn't. Instead of wasting energy and emotions regretting what cannot be changed, focus on the attitude about it. Let God redeem it, use it for His glory, free you from its bondange.

Or other people. We spend untold amounts of valuable emotional resources in angst over people that we think should change. Maybe they really do need to change, but our stress over them will not accomplish that for them! Instead of being depressed over relationships that disappoint or wound us, resolve to let God change them.As Ruth Graham once said, "It's my job to love Billy. It's God's job to make him good". We need to change our role in the lives of those folks that stress us out. (Now don't hear what I am not saying -- I am NOT suggesting that you dump everyone that causes pain in your life!!! No, I am saying that we focus on changing our response to those folks, not on "fixing" them.)

Other unchangeables are things like world peace, government spending, and the war on terror. Although I definitely do strongly advocate being involved in worthy causes, becoming an informed and active voter, and voicing your opinion respectfully, we must be take caution that we don't stew and fret over large scale events. I can get pretty worked up over things like folks that work for me who overspend my money (just sayin') so it helps me to remember who is ultimately in charge. And it's not a certain political party. Isaiah tells us in chapters 45 and 46 truth like this "I am the Lord and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is no other." And" For I am God and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, things not yet done, saying 'My counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose' calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed and I will do it".
Job learned this lesson very well and responded to the Lord "I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted".

So, happiness tactic # 6 - Don't stress over unchangeables. God is in control. And all His ways are loving and faithful. His Word is true-er than our circumstances!