“The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale
St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that we are all members of the Body of Christ. Each and every one of us is a unique part. We cannot all be feet. We cannot all be hands. We cannot all be ears or eyes or fingers or toes. We are all unique and necessary in the Body of Christ.
Some people, sadly, try to be what they are not. They look at the gifts and talents of others and lament that they do not share in them. They allow themselves to become jealous and envious. Often, those feelings lead them down darker paths than they would have imagined for themselves.
Norman Vincent Peale reminded us of something very simple: happiness lies within our grasp. We do not have to try to be someone else. We should be content with who and what we are. In that contented state, we easily can be a people of love who live simply, expect little, and give much. If we are happy with ourselves, we will be able to spread sunshine, warmth, and love to those around us.
Why, then, do we often feel that we need to be someone other than who we are? Is it the world around us that speaks these things to us or is it a voice from within? Is that voice from within legitimate or is it the all-too-familiar voice of the enemy?
Make no mistake about it: the devil is never happy when we live as one, united in love and with our God. The enemy does everything within his power to make us think that we are not special, that we are not good enough for God to love. That causes us to want to be different, to want what others have. That causes grief and strife among us. That fuels jealousy and envy.
The devil could care less about us. All that he wants to do is make sure that our soul never makes it to our true reward: eternity with God. He will say and do anything necessary to sway us from our goal. Do not let him win. St. Peter wrote to the Christian community: “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith.”
Learn all that you can about God and the love that He has for you. Lean on God when times are rough and know that He will always help you. All you need to do is ask. Live, content in that promise, and spread sunshine to others!
FAITH ACTION: Set aside grudges and live as a child of God this day, spreading His love.