Your Emotional Equilibrium

Happiness is not something to be sought or bought. It is a beautiful by-product of a job well done, a secondary or indirect product. We get detracted from the objective of happiness when we think it is to be found in good things, places and people. That trio is important, but as objective in seeking happiness they do no not result in happiness. Car bumper stickers assure us, “I would rather be…” Fill in the blank.

Happiness cannot be traveled to, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience resulting from doing your best at everything, living every minute with love, grace, and devotion to God and those around you with gratitude.

Happiness is a beautiful by-product, the result of another action, often unforeseen or unintended.

Imagine you are a teenager in high school with a big test coming up. The night before you stay up until midnight studying for it. Your eyes are burning, your shoulders cramping, and your back aching.

The next day you take the test and ace it, a perfect score. You are overjoyed, happy, elated. The night before while studying you were not thinking about happiness, you were concerned about doing a good job. You did, and the beautiful by-product was rightfully happiness.

The same is true of every task you undertake throughout life. Do a good job and enjoy the benefit … happiness.

A theme text of mine has been Colossians 3: 23, “Whatsoever your do, do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto man.”

Pleasing the Lord in the way you do all you do can bring happiness.

If you do what you do in a way that pleases the Lord and people complain and criticize you, you don’t get depressed, you didn’t do it for them, you did it for Him.

If you do what you do in a way that pleases the Lord and people brag on you, and compliment you, you don’t have an ego fit, you didn’t do it for them, you did it for Him.

This can help maintain your emotional equilibrium, avoid faux highs and lows, that is.

Always be kind to your tomorrow-self by doing today what you do well and pleasing to the Lord. Your tomorrow-self must live with the memories being created by your today self.

Happiness looks good on you … wear it well.

So live and serve as to hear the Master say, “’Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)