Caring for the Soul

I remember when I was a child I would go to Vacation Bible School every summer.  There we would sing the song “When you’re Happy and You Know It”.  It’s a fun song which most people have heard at least once if not one too many times as the song repeats itself over and over.  You clap your hands, then stomp your feet and it just makes you feel good.    If you were not happy before singing the song you will be by the time it’s over.  Happiness is a good thing.  It cures the soul.  It’s when we are happy that we are most successful and fulfilled.  However, ironically enough, happiness is not always a good thing.

It’s Not All about Me – Matthew 20: 1-16
When we occupy ourselves with reaching the state of being happy we lose sight of the true meaning of happiness.   We become so engrossed in the search itself that we become inwardly focused and self-absorbed. True happiness must be outwardly focused.  We cannot truly be content if we are possessed with a self-consumed mentality that causes us to forget about others. Happiness is coming to the point of realizing that it is not all the time about me.

Look Beyond the Self – Luke 15:11-32
Yet it is so hard to look beyond the self in such a post-modern culture which says, “Do whatever makes you feel good.” We see this post-modernistic reality in all areas of life including, but most definitely not limited to, the music industry which releases hit singles with the titles: “It’s all about Me, Let’s Talk about Me, Songs about Me, What About Me” and the list could go on and on.  Our culture is so egotistically absorbed with the self and what makes the self happy.  If we just follow eight simple steps or register to receive a daily email from happythoughts.com, we can achieve the ultimate state of satisfaction. However, this happiness which is referred to is only an illusion which disappears when the smoke and mirrors are gone and we find ourselves alone.

Don’t Forget What’s Right – Proverbs 10:9
It is at the point when we become more concerned about our own happiness and identify with it being okay to be self-absorbed that we forget about morals.  We cannot view things in the light of being right or wrong if we are guided by selfishness.  Black and white; good and bad; right and wrong, no longer matter.  But what begins to matter is “as long as you are happy then it’s okay”.  We forget about Godliness or better know as holiness, which in today’s society is a forgotten term.  Yet scripture still commands that we are righteous and keep His commandments in order to be happy.

Genuine Happiness – Jeremiah 29:11
When we forgo what is right in order to be happy for a moment we also forgo genuine happiness.  But what is genuine happiness?  Helen Keller once said, “Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” As Christians this worthy purpose is our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Genuine happiness is living in unity with Christ.  Yet this does not mean we live a life without trials.

If we do not have a relationship with Christ we have no purpose in our life.  When one has no purpose, hopelessness resides.  It is only when our eyes are open to this reality that we are truly happy.  It is only when we are filled with the Holy Spirit that we are happy.

Filling our God Shaped Void – John 6: 35
Without Christ we have a God shaped void, my mentor once said.  Meaning this void cannot be filled with money or success, but can only be filled by God.  Without filling this void we will continue without vial to be happy.  Therefore, it appears that Godliness is the ultimate true happiness.  If we do what is pleasing to Christ then we lead a fulfilled life which eventually leads to an eternal life for those who have this “fidelity to a worthy purpose”.   There can be nothing more satisfying than to know that we will live forever in true bliss without pain, tears, or sadness.

Epilogue
So genuine happiness is coming to the point where we can look beyond our selfishness and realize that it is not all about me in order to live a righteous lifestyle.  But the first and foremost key to the success of achieving happiness is filling our God shaped void; for without we will have truly missed the reason for our existence. Happiness is not in the material but in the spiritual.  Our earthly lives are not to be self-consumed but a mirror reflection of our eternal life of praise to our Heavenly Father.  Happiness is freedom and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.

Children are curious and love to find ways to express themselves.  Art is one form in which they can do so.  Art allows a child to naturally voice what they are experiencing.  What your child creates in their artwork is more than just a blob.  It perhaps is a feeling, a word, an action, a train of thought or a desire.  So take the time to listen to your child through experiencing their art world with them.  Open your mind and allow yourself to enter your child’s mind.  For it is in their art that they speak.  It is in your child’s creations that their experiences reside.

Through art children have the freedom to be themselves.  They are without limits or the constraints of the real world.  Art allows one to delve into their self to experience their creative side thus strengthening ones’ self confidence.  So when you think that your child is simply misbehaving when they draw on the walls, look at the circumstances through their eyes.  Think how they might just be trying to find a bigger canvas to express their inner feelings and creativity.  By embracing your child’s art you are embracing your child. Take the time to listen with your eyes

George Barna has rightly stated: “If you want to have a lasting influence upon the world you must invest in people’s lives; and if you want to maximize your investment, then you must invest in those lives while they are young.”

1. Alway keep in mind  it is a difficult and complex task

2. Provide a safe environment and relationship

3. Don’t force the process, there is power in simply presence

4. Be consistent at ALL times

5. Provide unconditional love

6. Empowerment instills within hope

7. Give positive praise  prior to negative acting out

8. Don’t give false hope – make only promises you can keep

9. Remember each child is unique – look at their developmental stage rather than their chronological age.

10. Allow means of release

Are you constantly wondering way you are not happy? Are you frequently unmotivated? Being in the correct profession has a significant impact on ones personal gratification in life. The following are some questions you can ask yourself to explore if you are in the best fit vocation for you.

10. Do you long to get back after taking time off?
9. Do you make excuses in order not to go into work?
8. Does someone have to constantly tell you what to do?
7. If no one is looking, do just you slack off?
6. Are you for the most part energized by what you do?
5. Would you continue with your tasks even if not a one told you, “thank you”.
4. Can you identify with what you are doing as if it is a part of yourself?
3. Would you do what you are doing regardless of whether or not you get paid?
2. Do you feel in your spirit that this is where you are called to be?
1. Do you know, that you know, that you know, that you absolutely love what you do?

If you answered, “No” to four or more of these questions, you may need to reevaluation what you do in order to achieve greater satisfaction in your life.