I wish that I could say I thought these up on my own. (I didn't). They aren't original but I took notes and wanted to share those with you.
1) Stop trying to figure everything out.
It's OK not to know everything. We can't know all the answers and we'll drive ourselves nutty if we try to find them.
1st Corinthians 13:12 "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
We won't know everything until we are in heaven. Put more trust in God. There is no such thing as faith if you have to have all the answers. We say we believe that God is going to come through for us, but we want to have a backup plan....just in case.
2) Mind your own business. Unless it's asked for, keep your opinion to yourself. Listen more. Talk less. We need to take care of our own lives and let other people take care of theirs.
Proverbs 18:2 "A food reveals all of his opinions."
Romans 14:12 "Each of us should give an account of himself to God." (Not of everyone else).
3) Choose your battles. Don't make a big deal out of little things. (Like the title of the book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. It's All Small Stuff."). We can't get in the middle of everything that happens. We need to use discernment when we choose our battles. We need to be Spirit led about what we confront. Confrontation is right, but if we confront everything that comes along, we'll be upset all the time.
4) Live one day at a time
I'm not going to get back into yesterday. Whatever mistakes I made yesterday are over with. I can't go back and do anything about them. I'm going to let go of what lies behind me. God's mercy is new every day. Each day is new. The sun sets everyday and the sun comes back up every morning.
Tomorrow isn't here yet. ANXIETY is living today but trying to already solve tomorrow's issues even before they have even occurred-- and they might not even happen!!
God gave the Jews their manna only one day at a time. He wouldn't allow them to gather more than that. If they would, it would stink and get rotten. A lot of people have stinkin' rotten lives because they're trying to gather tomorrow's manna today. If we don't allow ourselves to experience the day that we are in, we're not going to really enjoy it.
No matter what is going to happen tomorrow, why give up today? Because whatever's going to happen, I probably can't stop it anyway! It's in God's hands. If it's something that's out of my hands for today, what's the point in worrying about it right now? Why ruin this day?
Ecclesiastes says "give yourselves to what you're doing." We need to learn to concentrate on the area we're living in-- not on something else.
5) Pray about things early. Don't wait until you've done everything you can think to do and things are in chaos and then you say, "Well, I've done everything I know I can do. I guess all I can do now is pray." (Sad statement). Pray ahead of time.
When any sign of any sort of trouble come up, we should do this first. When we wake up in the morning and we start to feel even minorly ill or grouchy, the first thing we need to do is pray.
James 5:13-15 Gives us directions on how we should pray. (when afflicted, mistreated, suffering evil, glad, sick-- call on the elders of the church and pray). The Lord will restore us. Confess your faults to one another that you may be healed. The fervent [affectual] prayer of a righteous man avails much making tremendous power available in its working. You can pray bold, courageous, powerful prayers.
6) Be positive.
No matter what happens in your life, be positive. Find something good to think about. Find a postive point and concentrate on that. It can be challenging to get through one day and be positive about things but it's worth it.
Have a positive attitude. Don't only look at the way things are. Look at the way things can be. Look at what God can do. (MY LITTLE NOTATION: Like Robert Kennedy: "Some men see things as they are and say 'why'. I dream things that never were and say, 'why not.' "
Romans 15:13 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
We need to look beyond where we are right now. If our attitudes change, our lives can change also. If we have a negative attitude, we are also going to have a negative life.
Lemons can make lemonade. Look beyond what you have. Arise. Get up our of that state of depression. Don't grumble or murmur. Get positive. Begin to get in agreement with God.
Get beyond bitterness and resentment and the "you hurt my feelings" mentality. Go the extra mile. Learn to forgive. Find positive things in others and yourself and concentrate on those things. Believe the best about other people.
God uses ordinary people. Be positive no matter what happens. Find something to be positve about. (The steak was lousy but the bread was great). If you're driving and one of your tires blow, be thankful that two of your tires didn't blow. Be thankful that you have a spare in the trunk. Find something positive in a negative situation.
Talk and think about good things. Philippians 4:8 Whatsoever is good, pure, honest, kind, gracious, of good rapport...talk and think about these things. If we think about good things, depression can't hang on to us very long. Though the sorrow may last for the night, the joy comes with the morning.
When talking with your friends, don't just talk about all your problems all the time.
7) Live with a clean conscience.
Live before God and others with a right heart. Requires that we do what is right.
Acts 24:16 Paul writes, "I strive to keep my conscience void of offense before God and man."
If you do anything that you know has offended someone else, apologize. Don't be too proud and bullheaded to say, "If I hurt your feelings, I'm sorry."
8) Live at peace with yourself.
Where you've got peace, you'll find happiness.
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. "
9) Talk positively about others and about yourself.
Say positive things about yourself and about other people.
1st Peter 3:10 "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech."
There is no worse thing that you can do than talk ugly about your own self. (e.g. saying "I'm stupid" or "I'm ugly"). Love yourself.
Remember that you're a neat person to be in a relationship with!
Accept yourself. How can we expect to be happy with anything if we can't even be happy with ourselves?
10) Make others happy.
Philippians 2:1-4 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
We need to take more of an interest in the welfare of others. Focus on others. Not yourself. When we focus on ourselves, (self absorption) we make ourselves miserable. When we take the focus off of ourselves and find a true concern for others, we will find happiness.
The more you struggle to make yourself happy, the more unhappy you will be. The more you try to make others happy, the happier you will be.
1) Stop trying to figure everything out.
It's OK not to know everything. We can't know all the answers and we'll drive ourselves nutty if we try to find them.
1st Corinthians 13:12 "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
We won't know everything until we are in heaven. Put more trust in God. There is no such thing as faith if you have to have all the answers. We say we believe that God is going to come through for us, but we want to have a backup plan....just in case.
2) Mind your own business. Unless it's asked for, keep your opinion to yourself. Listen more. Talk less. We need to take care of our own lives and let other people take care of theirs.
Proverbs 18:2 "A food reveals all of his opinions."
Romans 14:12 "Each of us should give an account of himself to God." (Not of everyone else).
3) Choose your battles. Don't make a big deal out of little things. (Like the title of the book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. It's All Small Stuff."). We can't get in the middle of everything that happens. We need to use discernment when we choose our battles. We need to be Spirit led about what we confront. Confrontation is right, but if we confront everything that comes along, we'll be upset all the time.
4) Live one day at a time
I'm not going to get back into yesterday. Whatever mistakes I made yesterday are over with. I can't go back and do anything about them. I'm going to let go of what lies behind me. God's mercy is new every day. Each day is new. The sun sets everyday and the sun comes back up every morning.
Tomorrow isn't here yet. ANXIETY is living today but trying to already solve tomorrow's issues even before they have even occurred-- and they might not even happen!!
God gave the Jews their manna only one day at a time. He wouldn't allow them to gather more than that. If they would, it would stink and get rotten. A lot of people have stinkin' rotten lives because they're trying to gather tomorrow's manna today. If we don't allow ourselves to experience the day that we are in, we're not going to really enjoy it.
No matter what is going to happen tomorrow, why give up today? Because whatever's going to happen, I probably can't stop it anyway! It's in God's hands. If it's something that's out of my hands for today, what's the point in worrying about it right now? Why ruin this day?
Ecclesiastes says "give yourselves to what you're doing." We need to learn to concentrate on the area we're living in-- not on something else.
5) Pray about things early. Don't wait until you've done everything you can think to do and things are in chaos and then you say, "Well, I've done everything I know I can do. I guess all I can do now is pray." (Sad statement). Pray ahead of time.
When any sign of any sort of trouble come up, we should do this first. When we wake up in the morning and we start to feel even minorly ill or grouchy, the first thing we need to do is pray.
James 5:13-15 Gives us directions on how we should pray. (when afflicted, mistreated, suffering evil, glad, sick-- call on the elders of the church and pray). The Lord will restore us. Confess your faults to one another that you may be healed. The fervent [affectual] prayer of a righteous man avails much making tremendous power available in its working. You can pray bold, courageous, powerful prayers.
6) Be positive.
No matter what happens in your life, be positive. Find something good to think about. Find a postive point and concentrate on that. It can be challenging to get through one day and be positive about things but it's worth it.
Have a positive attitude. Don't only look at the way things are. Look at the way things can be. Look at what God can do. (MY LITTLE NOTATION: Like Robert Kennedy: "Some men see things as they are and say 'why'. I dream things that never were and say, 'why not.' "
Romans 15:13 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
We need to look beyond where we are right now. If our attitudes change, our lives can change also. If we have a negative attitude, we are also going to have a negative life.
Lemons can make lemonade. Look beyond what you have. Arise. Get up our of that state of depression. Don't grumble or murmur. Get positive. Begin to get in agreement with God.
Get beyond bitterness and resentment and the "you hurt my feelings" mentality. Go the extra mile. Learn to forgive. Find positive things in others and yourself and concentrate on those things. Believe the best about other people.
God uses ordinary people. Be positive no matter what happens. Find something to be positve about. (The steak was lousy but the bread was great). If you're driving and one of your tires blow, be thankful that two of your tires didn't blow. Be thankful that you have a spare in the trunk. Find something positive in a negative situation.
Talk and think about good things. Philippians 4:8 Whatsoever is good, pure, honest, kind, gracious, of good rapport...talk and think about these things. If we think about good things, depression can't hang on to us very long. Though the sorrow may last for the night, the joy comes with the morning.
When talking with your friends, don't just talk about all your problems all the time.
7) Live with a clean conscience.
Live before God and others with a right heart. Requires that we do what is right.
Acts 24:16 Paul writes, "I strive to keep my conscience void of offense before God and man."
If you do anything that you know has offended someone else, apologize. Don't be too proud and bullheaded to say, "If I hurt your feelings, I'm sorry."
8) Live at peace with yourself.
Where you've got peace, you'll find happiness.
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. "
9) Talk positively about others and about yourself.
Say positive things about yourself and about other people.
1st Peter 3:10 "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech."
There is no worse thing that you can do than talk ugly about your own self. (e.g. saying "I'm stupid" or "I'm ugly"). Love yourself.
Remember that you're a neat person to be in a relationship with!
Accept yourself. How can we expect to be happy with anything if we can't even be happy with ourselves?
10) Make others happy.
Philippians 2:1-4 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
We need to take more of an interest in the welfare of others. Focus on others. Not yourself. When we focus on ourselves, (self absorption) we make ourselves miserable. When we take the focus off of ourselves and find a true concern for others, we will find happiness.
The more you struggle to make yourself happy, the more unhappy you will be. The more you try to make others happy, the happier you will be.
Source: Life in the Word
Joyce Meyer Ministries