Happiness, Gratitude

"Happiness does not make us grateful; Gratefulness makes us happy".  These profound words by Miya Goodrich are thought provoking.

She shares her insights from a life of alcohol, lack of sleep, depression and chaos.  She was later diagnosed to have breast cancer.  That realisation woke her up to appreciate her life more before she no longer had life.

She wrote "I think sometimes in life we walk around with the illusion we’re in control. To some degree we are, but when faced with an illness you can very quickly be brought to your knees."

I think she is right.  It does frustrate us to realise that we are not in control, but life is like that.  In my opinion, we need God because we don't have control over the situations and circumstances around us.  I do not know if Goodrich believes in God though.

She also said that "we have a tendency to take life for granted."

I agree with this point also.  This is why we feel inadequate when we are sick, or poor, or hit with calamities and disasters that we cannot handle.  This is another reason we need God.

When we cease to take things for granted, when we realise that we do not deserve anything in life, it is at these times that we feel grateful for the blessings and the life that we have been given.  And we can be grateful for it.  But when we take everything for granted and are happy because of it, then we feel sad when we lose it.

I have two friends who both got distinctions for a subject that we did together.  One was happy.  The distinction was above her expectations.  The other was sad.  He thought that he must have done badly in the final assessment component for him to not have had a better grade.  They both got distinctions!

I think it is a matter of perspective.  Don't you?

What do you believe?  Does your outlook on life give you much gratefulness and happiness?  What do you look for in life?  Do you take health and happiness for granted?  Is God in the picture for you?

What is right about Christians today?

What does it mean to be a Christian today?  Is this belief/practice/behaviour correct for today's society?

A few thoughts came to mind as I tried to answer these questions:

• This article in TownHall.com carries some good points, but it is very USA-centric.  Many Christians in other parts of the world may share some commonalities with USA's Christians, but there will also be some differences.  I think that many of the points in the "weaknesses" list should serve as a wake-up call to many Christians around the world.
• What happened to the old days when Christians would give out tracts on buses or at street corners?  Have we found this strategy too unattractive?  Too confronting?  Are we not clear enough about what we believe that we are now afraid that we may not have the answers if people were to ask?  This would be to the shame of the church.  In recent times, I have found Muslims doing this kind of street evangelism instead of the Christians, as was the case previously.  Some were wearing these T-shirts which state that "I have found the Prophet Jesus in the Quran" on one side, and "I have found the Prophet Mohammad in the Bible" on the other side.  Theologically, both these assertions are not exactly true, but many people probably do not know their Bible well enough to answer these guys
• A recent study in Daniel 4 & 5 reminded me that many of us from the Western cultures have been influenced by this paradigm that everybody has the right to our own opinion.  That we can choose our course ahead.  That we have the power in ourselves to do whatever we want.  We forget that God gave us everything we have, and we owe Him our thanks and worship.  We forget that bad choices result in bad consequences.  We do not have ultimate control.  We find it hard to talk about Jesus being the only way, or how much we need God to the people around us, lest they consider us as freaks.  However, we end up not giving God the glory unless we do this.  God's judgement on us, and the people around us is imminent.

What do you think?  What does it mean to be a Christian today?  Can Christians influence the culture of the people around them the way they used to?  Will today's Christians be willing to die for what they believe, the way yesterday's Christians did?