Throughout my life, the number one enemy of my peace of mind has been fear—fear of the past, of the future, of what people think of me, of being rejected, of failing others, of illness. To counteract this tendency, I have made it a habit to pray first thing in the morning and place all my worries in God’s hands. It feels like I’m taking the heavy bags I’m carrying on my back and putting them on Jesus’ broad shoulders. After that, I feel lighter and have a new bounce in my step as I overcome fear with faith.
Another enemy of my happiness has been comparing and jealousy. I say to myself, “Look at how great that person looks. Look at all they have accomplished. Look at the new car they bought that I can’t afford,” and on it goes. To counteract this mindset, I keep a gratitude journal. I write down at least three blessings that God has given me in the last few days. These are often small things like the sun shining or the birds tweeting.
The positive effect that gratitude has on our minds is now being proven scientifically, as computers can map the brain and see the changes that occur. Gratitude creates hope and positive thinking. When I am thankful, instead of looking at others, I look to God and recall His goodness and mercy towards me.
My third thief of happiness has been resentment. I think, “Look at what they said or did to me! I hope something happens to them so they can know what it feels like… Oops, stop!’’ Forgiving someone who hurt us is something we do to protect our own heart and emotions, and to leave a door open for that person to repent and come back to our fellowship. By forgiving we also bring ourselves back to the biggest source of happiness and contentment, which is love. God is love (1 John 4:8), and we must protect and nurture our relationship with Him.
That is my recipe for contentment: I fight my fears with faith. I keep my tendency to compare in check with my belief that the Lord and I together can accomplish great things. And I ask Jesus to fill my heart with love and with the grace to forgive others, which results in great joy and contentment!