How do you live a happy life?  For you, what would result in happiness?

We may have a list.  If I have this.  Or if I have that.  If I’m able to accomplish this.  Or if this happens at work, or at home, or in my own life, then I’ll be happy.  We’ve probably all got our list of what we want, or want to happen, in our lives, that will make us happy.

I was thinking about that today when I read what Paul had to say in Philippians 2: 1-4.  Listen to what he shares with us:

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

He actually gives us the secret to happiness.  As tempting as it would be to think that our happiness will come from getting what we want, or doing what we want, our having our needs or wants met, Paul turns that on its head.

If there anything good, be of the same mind with each other.  Don’t be selfish, don’t act selfishly.  Regard others as better than you, and look to their interests first.

That sounds good, until you actually think about it.  Regard others as better than you.  I don’t (and don’t want to) do that.  I want to do what I want when I want it.  We all do, don’t we, to some extent.

And that’s what our culture tells us.  Our culture tells us that happiness comes from our stuff, from us being in charge, from us being number one.  Live your life the way that you want, doing what you want, achieving what you want because it’s all about you, your life, your contentment.

Today, though, we see the secret.  We see the secret to true happiness and life.  It’s not about us.

The Gospel is so countercultural.  The Gospel says – it’s not really about you.  In fact, to find life, give it away.  To find happiness, stop worrying about it.  To really live, live for others.

And I guarantee, if we try that Gospel-life we will find happiness a lot faster than any other way.  We think in living for what we think we want, we will find that happiness we desire.  We won’t.

But when we live that Gospel-life, living for Jesus, loving others, serving, giving, we find abundant, eternal life.

Today, you were made for that abundant, Gospel-centered life.  Today, live thinking of others first.  Give it a test drive.  Try it and see.  And see if you aren’t, in the end, happy.

I mentioned in my sermon here at St. Matthew’s that I really love the book of Psalms. They are honest, they are beautiful and they speak to the heart, and come from the heart.  They really are some of the most powerful words on all the scripture.

So, often when I am reading the texts for each day, my eyes are drawn to whatever the Psalms for the day may be.  Today was Psalm 37. Something about verses 7-9 caught me today:

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

Two times it mentions, “do not fret.” Do not get anxious.  Do not get all roiled up.  Just breath.  Relax. Just take a moment and breathe in and breathe out.

Why?  Why shouldn’t we get all kinds of anxious?  Don’t you know what’s happening in the world?  Don’t you know what’s happening in my life?

Sure, lots of things are going on.  But here’s why we shouldn’t fret.

First, we don’t need to get anxious because of what that produces.  “Do not fret – it leads only to evil.”  Think about how much evil, how much done wrong, how much that causes pain to others comes out of worry and fear.

Fear is a dangerous thing.  Fear leads us to do things we normally wouldn’t do.

As Christians, as the church, we can’t and we shouldn’t be fearful.  First, because it can cause us to act in ways that just aren’t Christian.  Fear affects our tongue.  It affects our actions.  It affects so many things.  Don’t fret – it leads only to evil.

And second, we shouldn’t fret because we know Who is in control.  God is not surprised by anything that happens in our lives; God is not surprised by anything that happens in the world.  He has it.  Seriously.  Don’t fret.  Don’t be afraid.  Don’t worry.

Live a life guided by confidence in God, not shaken by the fear of the unknown, or even the known.

Don’t fret.

Trust.

Obey.

It’s ok.

God has it.

Be faithful.

He’ll take care of the rest.

Recently, I’ve somewhat been on a purging binge (note that I love a good oxymoron) and going through the many boxes I have in storage labeled with the words, “Carrie’s Mementos.” I hate to admit that I was on a fast track to be featured on a cable show about people who collect a lot of stuff and I’m pretty sure that my “mementos” were the reason we needed U-Haul’s largest truck the last time we moved.

I’m currently looking for a chapter of “Sentimentals Anonymous” in my area.

So far, I’ve thrown away and condensed about 10 boxes of stuff; mostly college syllabi and graded papers from 20 years ago (my husband has been beyond thrilled to take these with us everywhere we go), but also a baby food jar containing a dirty, melted snowball from a childhood vacation to Yellowstone, my baby teeth (did I think I would reuse them eventually?), every pair of glasses I’ve ever owned and yes, even my braces.

I have nothing to say in defense of this.

I shake my head now at the ridiculousness, yet there are things I have come across that make me smile more today than when I received them.

These are the things I tuck gently and carefully back into the box.

Words. All words. Words that wash over my heart with warm memories. Words that wrap around me like a down blanket. Words that prop me up during an unusually dark season.

A wooden postcard from my long-deceased grandfather, my pastor grandfather whose wit outshone Jerry Seinfeld, whose wit is forever pressed in ink onto a 3×5 piece of wood.

A letter from a BFF during our teen years, sharing her relationship woes and states that she is done with boys. Yet in the next sentence, states that so-and-so is cute and is trying subtly to finagle a way to find out if he likes her.

Letters from family during college years that keep me connected to home, uplift, and encourage me to keep on keeping on.

Cards from friends who remind me of how very much I am loved.

Words. Words that I run my finger across and can feel the imprint of. The pressure of a pen held by someone who holds me in their thoughts.

This week, memories have been awakened by the power of ink and paper, and the first thought that flashes into my mind is the Ann Voskamp quote: “Only speak words that make souls stronger.”

The second thought is a morsel from Proverbs: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” ~Proverbs 18:21 (NLT)

My soul has been strengthened this week by people who may or may not have any recollection of their words to me. Their “tongue,” visible, rather than audible, has brought me life. They have me weighing the density of my own words. They have me pondering the effects, both beneficial and detrimental, of permanency. Are my words today going to be a healing salve 20 years from now?

My box of “treasures” compels me to take the risk of putting my words in print. I owe it to the One who has left me an entire Book that is the Living Word. I owe it to those who have blessed me after having chosen to do the same.

But I have also been wounded by words. Words that were like a knife being twisted, driven deeper and deeper until my innermost being was flayed and bleeding. Words that floated gently into the trash can; yet were on constant repeat in my mind, because hurtful words are etched far deeper than strengthening ones. Words that took up less space, but were far heavier than all of my boxes of “mementos” combined.

If word-wounding is all you have experienced, I’m so sorry. If you have never been given the opportunity to go through a stack of soul-strengthening words written by those who love you, let me assure you that there is One Who has plenty of love to whisper into your bruised heart.

I encourage you to breathe strength and life into someone this week. Even if words aren’t your “thing,” write them anyway, so that the recipient will have the option of enjoying them for days, even years to come.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” ~Psalm 19:14

Grace is not a one-time thing.  God doesn’t just see our sins, forgive us one time, and then choose to be done with us forever. No, God constantly gives us grace.

God gives us grace to forgive us, He gives us grace to empower us, He gives us grace to lead us.  For us, and for the world, grace is not a one-time thing.  It’s over and over and over again.  I am thankful that God is always lavishing us with grace and mercy.

That’s how it works between us and God.

But how should it work between us?  God always forgives us when we ask Him, but what about you and me? What are we to do when we keep messing up and falling short?  I mean, really, can’t they get it right?  How much grace do they get?  Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 18: 21-22: “Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.'”

Now, notice what Peter asks.  He says, what if another member of the church sins against me?  Two things pop out.  One is, “sins against me.”  That means does something to harm that relationship.  Something that’s not good, something harmful and destructive.

Something that may leave a mark.  Something that really may just hurt.

That’s tough to deal with.  Tough to work through.  Tough to process.  It’s not easy.

What else jumped out at me?  “Another member of the church.”  Someone that’s family.  As Christians, we are called to love. That’s one of our main commands and duties as believers, to love. We are called to love, because God is love. That’s our purpose and our mission.

Love the world.  Love each other. But especially love each other, because we are family.

Church, we’ve got to love each other.  If in your congregation you are always fussing among yourselves, then why would the world want to be part of you?  Sometimes the fights are over worship, or leadership, or a million different things.

Jesus tells us what to do: Love.  Forgive.  Show mercy. Be graceful.

Even when “they” don’t deserve it.  Because we don’t deserve it either.  That’s why it’s grace.  It’s never earned or deserved.  It’s always, always, always given and received.

Today, you and I have received grace from our loving God.  Today, may we show that grace to the world, and especially to those we do life with. Because loving each other may be one of our biggest witnesses to the world.

In a world that is angry and bitter and hurting, folks want to know that they are loved.  When we as the church live that out in our day to day lives, I truly believe that we can change the world.

Today, may we show grace!

One of the things that I know most about faith is that we are going somewhere.  We are on the move.  We have a direction and a purpose.

Now that somewhere, in time, is heaven. One day, for those of us that believe, we will cross over into eternity and we will forever be with the Lord.  That’s something to hope in, believe in, and rejoice in.

But that’s not just what I’m talking about it.  Listen to what we read today in Hebrews 6: 1-3:

Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And we will do this, if God permits.

We are going on to perfection.  That’s scary.  We don’t like the sound of that.  Perfection?  None of us are anywhere near that!

And you know what?  That’s exactly true.  None of us are anywhere near perfection. But just because we aren’t anywhere near it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be moving towards it.  We aren’t perfect.  That’s right.

But you know what?  We are working to be faithful.  And that’s always the first step, the first key.

And second, we have to understand what it means to be perfect.

Let me ask you this: what is the aim or goal of our faith?  What are we after?  What are we doing?  We are seeking, by his grace, to be more like God.

And what is God?  Holy and Love.  That’s his character.  So how does Jesus tell us to be like him? He says the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all that we are, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

That’s what true obedience looks like.

That’s what true holiness looks like.

That’s what perfection looks like.  John Wesley didn’t talk about perfection in action.  He talked about perfection in love.

That’s what we are chasing. That’s our aim.  Perfect in love.

Today, let’s keep moving.  Let’s keep being faithful.  Let’s keep working.  Let’s keep growing.  Let’s move toward being perfect in love. And let’s see what God does with it!

Read more reflections at www.revandy.org.