Do you want to be really happy? I've noticed that the door of happiness has three locks. To open that door, you need 3 keys. I believe that without these 3 Keys, it’ll be impossible to be happy.
Here they are:
Here they are:
Key 1: Your ability to select your 90%
Key 2: Your ability to surrender your Circle of Concern
Key 3: Your ability to seek your happiness from God’s Love
Key 1: Your Ability To Select Your 90%
I've come to a simple yet profound realization. I believe that happiness doesn't depend on what’s happening around me. Happiness depends on what’s happening inside you.
How come?
Because of the 90/10 Principle.
Stephen Covey said that 10% of life consists of the stuff that happens to you. This includes the good stuff. Perhaps you got a job promotion. That’s part of the 10% of life. Or you found the guy of your dreams. As big as that is, that’s still part of the 10% of life.
That 10% also includes the bad stuff. Perhaps you got fired. Or your boyfriend dumped you for another girl. Or you gained 10 pounds. Or your car broke down. Or your cell phone got stolen. All that is included in the 10% of life.
Because 10% of life consists of what happens to you.
What’s the 90%?
90% of life consists of what you do to what happens to you.
When a trial comes, will you respond with faith or doubt?
When a blessing comes, will you respond with gratitude or ingratitude?
When hardship comes, will you persevere or will you give up?
When irritating people come, will you be patient or be impatient?
Friends, your happiness depends on this 90%–what you do to what happens to you.
Your happiness is a choice!
Here’s the next key…
Key 2: Your Ability To Surrender
Your Circle Of Concern
One of my favorite passages in the Bible says, Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. (Psalms 55:22)
(ignore the picture if you have issues about giving Christ some imagery - concentrate on the words of Scripture ~ SB)
Are you carrying a heavy burden right now? I’ve got a very important message for you. You don’t have to carry that burden. That’s why many people are getting sick today. That’s why many people are getting depressed. That’s why many people have anxiety disorders. Because God didn’t design you to carry extremely heavy burdens for an extended period of time.
Because God designed you to give your burdens to Him.
Aside from the 90/10 Principle, Covey also talked about the difference between your “Circle of Control” and your “Circle of Concern”.
Mix up these two and you get into a lot of useless stress! A lot of people confuse the two—that’s where our anxiety comes from.
Let me ask you a question: Does your Job belong to your Circle of Control or your Circle of Concern?
Here’s the answer. There are certain parts of your Job that are found within your Circle of Control. For example, your attitude and performance are stuff you can control.
But everything else is in your Circle of Concern. You can’t control your boss. You can’t control the other departments. You can’t control the economy of the world. You can’t control the laws that affect your company.
For example, some wives have this crazy hallucination that their husband is in their Circle of Control.
I've got news for you: He’s not, no matter what you think.
A woman came up to me and said, “Bo, please preach about smoking. So my husband will stop this terrible vice. I’ve been nagging him to stop, but he hasn’t…”
I told her, “You can’t control his smoking. And nagging doesn’t work. It never has. The only thing you can do is pray for him and surrender….”
I believe we will go insane if we don’t know how to surrender.
Because there are many things that you can’t control.
Are you a parent? Believe me, you’ll go insane if you won’t trust God for your kids. Because there are many things you can’t control about your kids. Yes, you can control how you relate to them. How you train them. How you mentor them. How you love them. But the rest? Surrender.
You can’t guarantee how they’ll make their choices. Whether your kids will be successful in their jobs or businesses. Whether your kids will choose the right spouse. Whether they’ll raise up their own kids well.
So what should you do with your Circle of your Concern?
Do what you can do about that financial problem, or physical sickness, or relationship problem. But after you’ve done everything that you can do, surrender.
And finally…
From God’s Love
One day, the disciples of Jesus came back from their mission trip with fantastic “success” stories. What made them excited the most? That the demons fled at their command.
“It was amazing,” they told Jesus. “We just said, Demons, get out! And those varmints scampered like rats in a flood.”
Jesus congratulated them, but after giving them hi-fives, he said something very important. He said, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:18, 20)
What was he saying?
“Do not rejoice at your success, but rejoice that God loves you.”
Why? Because all success is fleeting.
Yes, thank God for your accomplishments. But a day will come when these accomplishments would fade away.
Your trophies and plaques and awards decorating your wall will one day be trash. When you’re gone, one of your grandkids will throw them all in a garbage can.
Your car, so nice and shiny now, will one day be a heap of rust.
Your money, no matter how much you have, will one day be of no use to you.
Your home, so beautiful today, will one day be owned by someone else.
So if your happiness is based on your accomplishments, you’ll lose your happiness rather quickly.
Jesus tells us: Seek your real happiness on eternal things, not temporal things. Seek your happiness on the fact that God loves you, that God has written your name in His heart.
May your dreams come true - thanks Bo ~ SB
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