For the past 100 days, I’ve been participating in a social media challenge by using the hashtag #100HappyDays. During this long-term challenge, it was my goal to post a picture of something that made me happy for 100 straight days. Sometimes this challenge really made me think and sent me to God’s Word. He gives us great advice.
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but the heartache crushes the spirit” – Proverbs 15:3
After finishing this challenge, I decided to look back through my 100 posts and see what made me happy every day. I had such a wide variety of things, I was surprised at how many things I love. I discovered that each of the 100 posts could fall into seven categories.
1. Our God gives us a loving family and friends.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17.
We need loving people in our lives for many reasons, but most significant to me is the comfort of those that God has put in my life for a reason.
2. Not only has God given us family and friends, he also gives us the beauty of natural creation. God gave us these things at the very beginning.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the round according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. – Genesis 1:24-25.
God made animals for us to love and to take care of. We can enjoy the land around us and travel to other places to experience new parts of God’s creation.
3. God provides us with food. One of my favorite Bible stories is when Jesus feeds the five thousand (Mark 6:30-44) and there were still leftovers. Jesus provides us an example of receiving food with prayers of thanks.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.– Mark 6:41.
4. I love finding good quote sand my favorites are from the Bible.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105
I want to take this gift from God and spread it around so that others know of his good works and of our loving savior. God gave us a copy of his book for a reason!
5. I love crafts! In my free time I enjoy cross-stitching, and most recently have started hand embroidery. I want to use the talents and gifts that God has given me to give to others. I want to make things to give away.
Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need. – Genesis 33:11.
6. Not all news is bad news, but sometimes the media makes it seem that way. With our belief in Jesus, we have the best news around: Jesus came to take away all of our sins so we can go to Heaven and live forever with him.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you food news of great job that will be for all people. Today is the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:11-12.
7. No matter what evil things are going on around us, we can remember that Jesus came to save us. That is the best news around!
No matter what makes us happy in life, we have a joy that surpasses all happiness. Whether we are feeling particularly happy or not, our God provides us with the healing of our souls through forgiveness in Christ. That’s the source of joy that carries us through even the most unhappy of times.
“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well, the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” – James 5: 13-16
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