The art of happiness

Happy National Day! Haha… so belated.

Anyway, the post today is titled the ‘art of happiness’. Why? Because I woke up today with lots of worries. Yes, the long weekend is over, and also back to reality. So I started thinking about all those “what if’s and If onlys…” and naturally when you think of these things, one either gets really riled up or depressed over the great requirements or efforts one needs to take in order to “get there”.

Truly, our life is all about pursuit – getting richer, getting more security, gaining love, receiving the best, being something, achieving something… doing something… etc. When we think about all that, it could be both exciting, yet scary. And it borders on the line of “worry”.

So I decided to stop.

I decided today to leave it to God, to put my future into God’s hands.

It is easy to say then, that because I am a believer of God, it is so easy for pple like me to just say “leave it all to God”.

But actually, it is not so. As any normal person, who doesn’t worry? And naturally, it is actually more difficult to say that I would “leave it all to God”.

This is not just a careless statement that hints “I give up and stop thinking and don’t wanna do anything and just let God do everything”. Rather, it is a calculated measure and a step of faith that allows me to say that “I will leave it to God” and that “I am not able to have all the solutions to life, so let me just live it out a step at a time and listen to God to direct my paths”. This is what it means.

So as I say, I will leave it to God, it is a step of faith. To let my life be measured by how closely I walk with my Lord, how much I can hear His directions for my life, and to walk in His Ways.

Just this morning, I felt, that hey, I had forgotten all about this,… I had forgotten all about “walking in His ways” and from that thought, arises a new surge of desire to walk in the light, in the ways of God. To do so, much more prayer and communication must be done.. and therefore, a new desire to seek my creator once again and ask Him, what is the purpose of my life and where should I go next?

"I will go" by Hillsong London/United:


And then i came across a wonderful blogpost:
http://lostmoya.wordpress.com/2006/05/30/this-is-the-way-walk-in-it/

Some bible verses on this topic:

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord.
'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

"Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways." Psalm 128:1

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13-14

"And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

"But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.
So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.
Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries." Psalm 81:11-14

"For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’" Psalm 95:9

"You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words.
I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word.
I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies." Psalm 119:57-59

"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You....
Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day." Psalm 25:1-5

"Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land;" Psalm 37:34

"God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Corinthians 1:27-30

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7

"...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.... And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2

"...be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:5-8

"When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments... lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them... your heart is lifted up ....then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’...

"...you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth....Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 8:10-20

"For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:16-17