Rick Warren sermon How to Be Happy No Matter What Happens : God’s word teaches us about how to be happy no matter what happens, now this is a skill that we all need to learn during difficult days anytime you want to study what God has to say about happiness you go to the book of Philippians in the bible.
It’s the most positive happy book in God’s word, in spite of the fact that Paul wrote it while he was a prisoner, in a dark roman prison dungeon and he was chained to a 24-hour guard but Paul knew how to b e happy irrespective.
One of the key verses is Philippians 1 chapter 1 verse 27. It say’s, whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the good news of Christ, have you ever held a pity party for yourself?
It’s quite easy to throw a pity party all you have to do is think up a list of everything negative in your life and then think about it over and over and over and then feel sorry for yourself.
Today we’re going to see how Paul handled all of these killjoys in the first chapter of Philippians
We must try to live each moment in our lives in constant conversation with God throughout the day, the bible says to pray continually, pray without ceasing and that means keep a running ongoing conversation with God in your head so as soon as the thought of the idea that you are not happy comes, we must listen in our spirit, try to hear from the holy spirit.
God says that happiness is a choice, it’s not based on circumstances, it’s based on choices, and you must choose happiness. Happiness is not something you look for, that’s what many people mistake, if you look for it you’re not going to find it, happiness is something you create.
Happiness is something you choose, the truth is regardless of your circumstances, no matter what’s going on in your life right now, you are as happy as you choose to be, you can’t blame anybody else for your unhappiness and regardless of the pain, regardless of pressure regardless of other people and regardless of problems in your life, you are as happy as you choose to be
One of the most common mistakes we make in life is The “when and then thinking” when I get this then I’ll be happy, when something happens the way I want it to happen then I’ll be happy, when I get out of school then I’ll be happy, when I get a man in my life or a woman then I’ll be happy, when I get a job or a promotion when I retire but you could fill it in with a million things.
The “When and then thinking” in Paul’s case it could have been when I get out of prison, then I’ll be happy but the truth is this, if you don’t know how to choose happiness right now in spite of your circumstances, there’s going to be pains and pressures and people and problems to blame for your unhappiness for the rest of your life and you’re never really going to be happy long term.
Pastor Rick Warren using Philippians 1 verse 27 gives us a guide on how to draw out and create happiness at any given moment of our lives, even on our worst days.