“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” – Matthew 10:29-31

What makes you happy? When I ask that question, you may think of things like your children, your spouse, watching the sunrise (or set), a quiet walk in the woods, hanging out with friends, or your favorite meal. But a good way to really meditate on this question is to ask yourself, “what is the last thing that made me angry?” When you ask it that way, you get a different perspective. Maybe it was the guy who cut you off in traffic, the coworker who was rude to you, the package that got damaged in transit, or spilling your coffee on the way out of the house this morning. The truth is, even though we have these grand ideas about what makes us happy, we often allow the smallest things to steal our happiness. Why is that?

Pastor confession time: I spilled my coffee this morning and it made me really angry! …that is what got me thinking about this question. When I ask the question, “what makes you happy,” the truth is, most of us have the same answer; “when everything is going the way I want it to go.” This is pretty immature, but I would guess it is also pretty true most of the time. What should really make us happy? The fact that we are cared for. The truth that everything is taken care of even when nothing is going my way should bring me constant peace throughout life. If your expectation is that everything is going to go how you have designed it, then you will be very unhappy most of the time. However, if you wake up every morning with the understanding that God holds you in the palm of his hand and is watching over you every moment (even when you spill your coffee everywhere) then you can have true happiness in the midst of this tumultuous world.

Lord, show us the depths of our hearts today and let us truly see what makes us happy and what makes us angry…even if it is painful to see our immaturity. Let us all take a moment and meditate on the truth that You hold us through every moment and every circumstance. I want to find my happiness in You alone!

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon