1/2/2021

 I started my day with the Bonhoeffer devotional and found myself drawn to this quote, "What is happiness and unhappiness? It depends so little on the circumstances; it depends really only on that which is happening inside a person." (Bonhoeffer) Of course Bonhoeffer is writing from a jail cell. In Philippians 4 Paul said he had learned to be content regardless his circumstances.

So as I'm pondering this God called to mind an Elizabeth Elliott quote on happiness. In searching for it I found this jewel, “Very often (nearly always, I'm afraid) when I come to church my feelings are uppermost in my mind. This is natural. We are human, we are "selves," and it takes no effort at all to feel. But worship is not feeling. Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline. We are to worship "in spirit and in truth." Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them. Finding myself scattered in all directions and in need of corralling like so many skittish calves, I kneel before the service begins and ask to be delivered from a vague preoccupation with myself and my own concerns and to be turned, during this short hour, to God.”

This made me ponder something, many times I hear people gripe about sermons, music, etc... Yet, happiness or worship are not feelings that come from our outside circumstances they are literally acts and take discipline to achieve. Let us then, like Isaiah says, "Seek Him while he may be found..." Because true happiness and true worship are from God.

15Kimberly Jeremy Hamby, Genie Adams and 13 others