"I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live." -Ecclesiastes 3:12
Ecclesiastes falls into the category of Wisdom Literature. The author, throughout the book, often writes of despair, like dark storm clouds gathering. It is not a book I generally consult! It is too easy to despair on my own. I don't need any encouragement.
If you are paying attention to the news right now in America there are plenty reasons to despair. I live outside Washington, DC so it is local news for me. The only way to escape it is to leave all social media, turn off the TV news, and not read the newspaper. But that is not going to change anything. Knowing what I know I struggle to let myself be happy when so many are truly struggling. How can I be happy when so many aren't?! If you truly care about someone or your community, your country, your world, it can feel like a real challenge to be happy as Ecclesiastes 3:12 tells us.
So I decided to see what "happy" means in the Bible and discovered that it is translated differently in other versions. The King James Version says "to rejoice and to do good" while the International Standard Version says, "to take pleasure in doing good." Ah! There is the real secret to being happy--to take pleasure in doing good!
I am grateful that I need not despair as long as I do good. As I look for ways to help others, stand up for what is right and true, and yoke myself to Christ, the burden will be light and I will be able to rejoice that God is at work in fulfilling His promises to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Cathy, it is trying times. I went news free months ago, and while that may seem like a cop out, I can only change what is immediately around me. I posted a picture at work for a lady that lost her cat (unnuetered male) and when it finally turned up, the employees at my work came up with enough money to pay for neutering. We all love animals! I make an extra effort to help family and friends. I do what I can for my neighbors...you might say I keep it local....but if we ALL did that, we would be spreading it around the world, wouldn't we? So I don't need to listen to Fox, or CNN or any of it.....I just need to help someone down the street.
ReplyDeleteI love your another perfect day 365 and always read it, even if I rarely comment. And I want you to know, everyone comes into our lives for a reason; you, Susan Branch, and the all the GF's of Susan. We were meant to know one another and learn from one another
Thank you for the time and effort you put into this❤️
Chris Wells
You are very sweet to leave a comment, Chris. I am doing this blog mostly for myself--it is helping me remember how much I have to be grateful for! But it's also nice to know that in doing so I'm helping others, too. You are so right about if everyone took the time to help someone just in their neighborhor it would make a difference in our communities. It actually begins with loving yourself, then your family and friends. As you do that loving a wider circle becomes easier and easier until eventually people you will never meet begin to matter. God can then use us to minister through donations or through our prayers. We can ALL make a difference in that way. I think it's wonderful that in helping your neighbor find her cat it led to others wanting to help her by paying to get her cat neutered (so it wouldn't stray anymore!). A wonderful example of how one good deed can lead to another. ❤️
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