The Promise Of A Happy Heart

For the happy heart, life is a continual feast.

Proverbs 15:15

We all face circumstances in life that make our hearts anything but happy. Even our own thoughts can make us miserable: I can’t be happy until I lose forty pounds, or My teenagers are driving me crazy. Difficult situations and people who hurt us can make our hearts unhappy, cars break down, illness and trials can steal our joy. But although there is always something that might sabotage our happiness, it is possible to live with a happy heart. And the promise in this verse is that, regardless of the circumstances, with a happy heart we can enjoy life as a continual feast, appreciating and enjoying God’s abundant blessings.

Living with joy glorifies God; it’s at the heart of abundant living and is a powerful testimony and witness to the reality of his presence. A happy heart is a source of strength and energy, even in the toughest of times. There is an old saying that if Satan can steal our joy, he can get everything else—our strength, our hope, and even our faith. Let’s not give him the opportunity!

Despite the sadness of life in a world that’s deeply broken, Jesus still invites us to experience joy, and his Word reveals practices that lead to a happy heart: fixing our eyes on Jesus instead of on ourselves and our problems, casting our burdens on him instead of carrying them ourselves, investing in friendships, serving others, and choosing to give thanks in all circumstances, just to name a few. Even that one choice—giving thanks—is a prescription for a cheerful heart. Researchers report that gratitude is the healthiest emotion a person can have and produces more positive emotional energy, leading to happiness and joy, than any other attitude.

Lord, I confess I’ve had my eyes on my circumstances instead of on you. Would you be the lifter of my heart and mind and restore my joy so I can live life as a continual feast of your blessings?

At every moment of our life we have an opportunity to choose joy. . . . It is in this choice that our true freedom is, and that freedom is the freedom to love.

Henri Nouwen(1932–1996), Dutch writer and priest