Get with the plot – be happy :o)

It’s incredible that we have to be told to be happy isn’t it. Sure, I can understand having to be told to behave ourselves or do as we are told (because we are not naturally obedient are we), but to enjoy ourselves?!
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil 4:4)

As Christians [those saved by Christ, redeemed to reign with him] we should really be the happiest people in the world (no exaggeration!). Being this happy is not reliant on us being trouble free you understand. Our excitement, joy and general delight with life is based on a sure understanding of who we are and what we have in store for us.

Late that day [Jesus] said to [the disciples], "Let's go across to the other side." They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"
Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?"
They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!" (Mark 4:35-41)

Who do you associate with most in this incident? This back over this last week. Would your responses embody Jesus’ attitude or the disciples?
Of course you will be drawn to Jesus but if you are more like me you will have to admit that you are a ‘disciple’ rather than a ‘Jesus’.
Everyone found themselves in the same sticky situation. The disciples exhausted all of their resources to fight against something that they had no control over. Naturally they became stressed and began to bark at Jesus as though it was his fault for not pitching in and lending a [futile] hand.
Jesus, though, was amazingly confident in his Heavenly Father. He knew what God’s will was and knew that this storm had no authority over them. Their survival was in God’s hands and that filled him with confidence. Even though he was in the middle of this ‘life threatening’ storm he knew he had had a busy day and that another one awaited him and so his confidence in god allowed him to fall and stay asleep. He was enjoying the ride.

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won your fight… because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (NLT)

I know that at times my enjoyment of things is diminished because I use all of my energy fighting against things that have no authority over me. If we listen to God’s call on our lives (his direction concerning career, finances, family planning, property selling, time management etc) we can be joyfully confident in every situation.

It doesn’t matter what sort of day it is I want people to look at me and now that… to quote the fast food retailer… I’m loving it [because God is with me and I have won]!