Training for happiness requires a winning plan.
My cousin Lydia has trained for marathons, even a few ultra-marathons of 100 miles. A 100-mile run–this blows my mind! It took her just over 25 hours to run an ultra-marathon, and a friend joined her at night and held the flashlight as they ran together.
To succeed Lydia developed a year-long plan that disciplined her to run the distance. While she prepared, never did I think, “The race is still nine months away! She’s running for no reason!” Rather, I cheered her on and knew if she skipped her daily runs, she’d set herself up for failure on race day.
The same is true for you and me. If we desire true happiness, then we need to “train” to develop it.
Before you skip to the three keys, check your heart. Ask yourself, “What motivates me to desire happiness? Do I want to bring glory and honor to God, and am I trying to prove my worthiness?” The latter reveals legalism and self-righteousness.
You cannot earn God’s favor, not ever. In Christ you already have it! Click & Tweet!What are the three keys to train for true happiness?
1. Spend Time in God’s Word Regularly
Delectable food to a believer’s heart is time spent in the Word. Click & Tweet!All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)
Reading the Bible, memorizing it, and learning to apply it–these matter greatly to developing true happiness. Isn’t it true than you are prone to drift from the truth when you skip spending time in God’s Word regularly?
In the last post, you received a practical assignment for improving your attitude. If you missed it, why not review it?
This time you get another special assignment. You’ll attach a result and a time to your goal.
Goal: Result: Time:
Read Bible Know God better 7 a.m.
Memorize verse Learn God’s peace 9 p.m.
May I encourage your creativity? If you prefer to listen to the Bible and are time-crunched, why not use an audio Bible and listen on the way to work? Do you have little ones at home? Perhaps read a section to your children just before naptime; choose an easy-to-read version like this one.
2. Pray Persistently
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV)
For many of us–me included–prayer can be difficult because so much demands our attention. Your noisy mind keeps you from focusing on Jesus, who desires to listen to your struggles, when you’re weighed down with anxiety or burdened with anger.
When I went through a tough time of depression twenty years ago, I discovered that journaling my prayers helped me focus. I put my pain on paper. I wrote where it hurt.
Some of my prayers were simple requests that I dated. I’d review these requests every so often and, as God answered them, I’d jot and date the answer. Some were not answered as I preferred, and I embraced the truth that God knew best. Others I marked “still waiting” when a few months passed and Jesus has yet not given a “yes” or a “no.”
Expect trouble during prayer for another reason. Prayer gives us direct access to Jesus, who is changing us into his likeness. Satan hates this. He hates prayer. Be prepared for this battle by determining to pray persistently.
3. Put Off, Put On
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:8-10, ESV)
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:14, NIV)
You have a particular area of struggle, don’t you? Don’t we all?!
One counselee shared she struggles with jealousy. Another said she lies when truth-telling may cause confrontation, and she hates confrontation. Still another counselee used prescription pills to numb emotional pain and became addicted to them. Another is dealing with bitterness after her husband committed adultery.
There is no easy way to find freedom life-dominating sins.
If it were easy, they wouldn’t need solution-focused, caring biblical counseling to deal with their obvious problems, and more importantly, their root problem, which lies at the heart of their desires and motivations.
The starting point is stated in 1 Kings 22:5:
First seek the counsel of the Lord.
Your map on the road to transformation is the Bible. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God stands forever.”
Biblical counseling relies on truths of the Bible as the counselor seeks to give compassionate, wise counsel while relying on Christ to provide the power for change.
In training for true happiness, it’s wise for us all to seek wisdom in the Word, prayer, and counsel. Then we can see what ungodly habits to put off and which to put on. With God’s help we can change our thinking so our thoughts line up with his. We hate what he hates. We love what he loves.
You live your life wanting to joyfully do God’s will. The gospel becomes your goal, and true happiness is the resulting enjoyment!
Friends, do you need counsel to achieve true happiness? Are you weary? Burdened? Has life knocked your down? Is your marriage in turmoil?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, may I suggest biblical counseling with me by Skype or in person (Chicago area)? Contact me and let’s set up a time to talk. I offer a complimentary 15-minute consultation by phone.
Counseling Hope to Your Heart,
