This morning I sat down at my desk to get ready like I do every morning.  I grabbed my makeup bag and started pulling out the makeup I needed to use.  As I was getting out my make-up, I couldn’t find my mascara for some reason.  Being slightly irritated and confused, I started riffling through my makeup bag looking for my mascara. To my surprise, I had already pulled out my mascara bottle and put it on my desk a few minutes prior.  I was so relieved and happy when I found it!  As I sat there, finally putting on my make-up, I started thinking about what had just happened.  While this was a simple little mistake / misplacement, it reminded me of one very important word: HAPPINESS. 

Our happiness is much like the mascara bottle, something that we already have / are capable of having we just don’t realize it sometimes.  We misplace it by relying on people and things to make us happy, even though these things never will.  We can’t rely on anyone or anything to make us happy.  Many times it seems as though we live in ‘Nevergonnabehappyland’ just waiting for someone to change our circumstances by sprinkling some magic fairy dust on our heads.  Joy is only found in the Lord, so why do we try so hard to find substitutes?  When someone treats us badly or we don’t get the raise we wanted at work, we trade in our happiness for frustration, disappointment, anger, and so on.  While we may have every reason under the sun and right to feel this way, this is an immature way of living.  Sure, we can live in a Peter Pan kind of mentality and refuse to grow past temporary happiness, but by doing so we will be missing blessings that God has for us along the way. 

Everyday that you wake up is a gift.  While some days it may not feel like it, it is.  Monotony can be a buzz-kill and steal your joy if you let it, anything can.  The world will do anything in its power to try to steal your joy.  That’s why every morning when you wake up you need to decide: am I going to keep my peace today no matter what life throws my way or will I sacrifice my happiness to the first moment of adversity that I meet?  Am I going to sacrifice who I am to make someone else happy or am I going to live for God and be happy to be who He created me to be?  Remember: the joy of the Lord is our strength.

“You have put more joy in my heart than when their grain and wine abound.”– Psalm 4:7

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10

If we continue to sacrifice our happiness and go through the day frustrated and discouraged, we make things so much more difficult than they need to be.  Our strength comes from joy and our joy should come from knowing that we are God’s chosen ones and that He loves us!  Whether you feel like it or not, He created you for an amazing purpose.  Out of everyone in the world, He chose you for amazing things ahead.  That’s right, YOU.  Your life isn’t just something you should go through begrudgingly, BE HAPPY!  God has given us everything we need to be happy and to be happy today! Don’t waste it. Grow in your faith and live happy! 🙂