How to Be Happy When Life Is Difficult
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It’s a sad post when “How to Be Happy When Life is Difficult” begins with a dishwashing story! lol For the past two weeks, my dishwasher has been on the blink. And honestly it hasn’t bothered me all that much until last night.I accidentally put an egg shell in the garbage disposal (which obviously is old and needs replaced), only to have all the dish water explode out of the cabinets under the sink due to the plastic pipe opening because the egg shell got caught in the pipe instead of getting ground up by the garbage disposal.
Lovely.
I didn’t act too happy for about the next half hour, honestly. Soaking up dirty dish water with beach towels and then continuing on with the dishwashing chore, the kitchen wasn’t clean until 7:30 pm and that’s late around here. Because after that babies still need to be clean and dirty beach towels had to be washed and…and…and…
On a bit of a heavier note, at bedtime, my just-turned-9 year old talked to Daddy about how she often thinks of what will happen when her older sister (who has MPS) dies and how she gets sad sometimes in the middle of the school day.
All that to tell you that life is not easy. My life is not easy and I know that yours isn’t easy either.
But I can tell you that we can be happy even when life is difficult.
How?
By saturating our souls and minds in the truth of God’s Word.
We can be happy because…
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work–this is a gift of God.He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. Ecclesiastes 5:19&20
We can be happy because…
we can take refuge in the Lord. Psalm 34:8
We can be happy because…
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, Psalm 146:5
We can be happy because…
We have the opportunity to be kind to the needy. Proverbs 14:21
We can be happy because…
We have hope in God. Jeremiah 17:7
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Rom. 12:12
We can be happy because…
The joy of the Lord is our strength. Neh. 8:10
In the fall I remember hearing Lysa Terkeurst describe a very difficult situation and she said something like:
I couldn’t praise God for what was happening…but I could praise God for who He is in the middle of the circumstances.
So what do you have to praise God for today? Nothing is too small. As I type this, I’ve got a couple clean loads of laundry to praise God for, along with the fact that He never changes. 🙂 I’d love to read your praises to Him in the comments!
PS: Chocolate. Praise God for chocolate. 🙂
Perfect day for me to read this. Today was not one of the best. But knowing that turning to God through it all is so worth it. Today in the midst of my not so good day I took a little time out to read from Charles Stanley and God sent me right to the article I needed to read and now ending the evening to this. Just started following you so not sure of your story with your daughter but my heart goes out to you. Thank you for what you do. Since I have started following you I love everything I read and you are very inspiring. No matter what in every day I definitely have something to be thankful for. And at the end of every day spending quiet time with my Children and husband ( on his nights off) is enough to make me very happy. God is great!
Bless you Leslie! Thanks for this sweet message. God is indeed good. No, as you said, He is great! Blessings to you!
Praise God for this delicious cup of coffee this morning!!
Thanks for sharing all of this. Sometimes as a believer I get caught up in this image of what it looks like to be a christian but i’m afraid I lack the real peace and freedom God intended for me to have. Today I was talking to my husband and said, ‘i’m so tired of not being happy and I know that it doesn’t help that I haven’t spent much time reading God’s word”. This entire post was wonderful especially the truth behind happiness is:
“By saturating our souls and minds in the truth of God’s Word”
Thank you!
Laura
Thanks for your comment Laura! Satan wants us to believe lies so that we are not happy. God’s Word- YES- is the answer for truth. So glad you came by tonight! Blessings to you!
I was just listening to a Casting Crowns song and one of the lyrics was “although my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm”. I thought fitting to your story and many of our lives at some point!!
Love that song. 🙂 Bless you Mary Jo!
I praise God for calling me to be one of His, for ALL the Blessings HE has bestowed upon me, for teaching me to depend on HIM andon HIM alone. HE has brought me through many fires and tribulations, a surgery I nearly died from. I praise HIM for being my Lord and My God, My God and My ALL. I have learned to lean on our FATHER.
Rachel, thank you for all you do, your words of wisdom, May God help you through the difficult days, give you the strength for the times you need that extra push, may He bless you and your family.
oh Michel- you are such a light! Bless you dear friend.
Thank you for this! It was actually really funny to me that your post started with a dish washing story. I had just posted on fb about how I’m so tired of the dishes that I don’t want to eat or cook! My husband is on a trip and our two toddlers are…actually behaving right now. That is something to be thankful for! I’m determined to make this a better day than yesterday. Thank you for reminding me of how much I have.
oh your little ones are so cute!!! Toddler stage is my favorite and yet- not. 😉 Thanks for stopping by.
I praise God for all the hardships we are currently going through…
My husband lost his very good job in April and since then as been unable to find anything good. He is working so we thank Him for that! Just wish we could find a job that pays better so we can meet our monthly financial obligations.
Our oldest daughter is in a bad place, drugs & Lord only knows what else. But, God protects her and keeps her safe.
Our marriage has been on the rocks for years! My husband has been unfaithful many times and we almost ended in divorce. But, I told my husband that God would want me to forgive him. So, I have. It hasn’t been easy and satan will dig at that wound every chance he gets, but I pray for God to wipe the past away so that we can move forward. About 6 months ago I woke up and just didn’t care any more. When my 13 yr old asked us if we would be getting a divorce, my heart sank to my toes. We don’t argue or fight or anything. How did this young man know that our marriage was so bad? Because kids are smart!!! When a new person at our church asked if I was related to my husband (having NO idea we are married) I realized our marriage stinks! If people see us together and don’t even realize we are married…Oh my…we have our work cut out. So, with the new year we have decided it is way past time to put God back where he belongs…at the head of our marriage.
I am currently reading through the bible for the first time and I can not tell you how much better my day is by just reading His word first thing in the morning. If Job can handle all that was thrown at him, I can surely whether this storm! Thank you for your blog. It is such an encouragement to me!!!
Renee- God is with you! He will never leave you or forsake you and through His strength, you CAN weather the storms you are going through. Thank you so very much for your comment today. Amen to your statement about Job! May the Lord give you strength through His Word today!
God has given you a great gift of writing just what we need to read to help us. Thank you for using your talents for the Lord and being a blessing to your readers. Praising the Lord for His unconditional love for us!
OH YES! Praise Him for that. Blessings to you Linda!!
Rachel,
I can’t tell you how much I needed this right now! I love how God works timing out just right. I have a large notecard that I’m about to right these out on! My husband and I are going through the fire, so to speak. We are determined to make it through and to come out on the other side better. In spite of our difficulties right now, I can be thankful for a God that still blesses and still hears our cries! So often we women act upon our feelings, but sometimes in times where our feelings are hurting, we have to act upon fact and faith!
Thank you so much for sharing these…you have blessed me more than you can know!
Fact and faith- Amen! Bless you Friend!!
Bless you Rachel…
I just have to let you know, I am saying a prayer for that sweet “just turned 9 year old”. My heart feels a little sad for her too…I’m glad, she and you and all of you do have The God who is LIFE and in whom you can rest even when…
Debbie
Thank you so much for praying for my sweet girl. God is going to do great things with her! 🙂
Thank you for writing this and most importantly thank you for always including so many scripture references! Praise God for all the “bad things” he can work Good in for those who trust in Him 🙂 Thank you for letting Him work in you and sharing it so fearlessly with all of us!
Rom. 8:28 Girl! Looking forward to study tonight. 🙂
Also praising God for chocolate. Any kind! LOL
I have been doing the One Thousand Gifts and finding something to be thankful for, daily, for nearly a year now. It is amazing how things change when you are grateful for what you have (or don’t have).
Life-changer- that One Thousand Gifts! Yes it is indeed. Blessing Heather! And sending you virtual chocolate- calorie-free! 🙂
What a wonderfully written and well timed post. Some not so great news on the medical front tonight for my little girl. But praising God as this could be reason for some of the “issues” and an easier fix. I love how He pulls it all together.
Also praising God for chocolate, especially when accompanied by peanut butter.
That not so great news is definitely tough. But He holds the answers! And yes, peanut butter is always good. or salty caramel. 🙂
Rachel, I’m sorry to hear about your current mishaps and the heaviness that must invade at times when you think of losing Taylor. Yet you took the messiness of this life and cleaned it right up with God’s promises–bravo!! Inspiring.
Thank you dear friend. As I know so often you do the same. Blessings to you!