One part of a Christian’s life that many in ministry fail to talk about is the importance of enjoying one’s life. Yes, so many of us get hurt as a child from father or mother’s wounds and then have to play catch up the rest of our lives as our hearts have been scarred and we take our pain out on our loved ones. Then we end up having more broken hearts when our spouses betray us or abuse us with their pain. So what is a Christian life supposed to really look like? God wants His people to enjoy themselves in life and to have fun, laughing and teasing much. Good wholesome fun is good for the heart and the soul.
Too many people talk about their past hurts and it only leads to keeping them locked into what the enemy did to them instead of choosing to forgive and forget and move forward into the greater things the Lord has for them. You can tell when a person has been healed in their hearts as they will talk more about the now and future then the past. Yes hurting people hurt people. That is a fact. Healthy people help to heal other people and encourage them to focus on the positives. So what things do you do that are beneficial to you on a daily, weekly or monthly basis?
I love to workout every morning and go for walks outside. Spending time listening to the Lord give me His insight, playing praise music and thinking about things that are true, noble, just, lovely, pure, and of good report. I love to laugh as God has a great sense of humor. I love to help others laugh, because it has been proven that when you laugh you experience amazing beneficial health results:
- Lower Blood pressure
- Reduces Stress Hormone Levels
- Triggers the Release of Endorphins
- Works your Abs
- Improves Cardiac Health
- Boosts T-Cells
- Produces a General Sense of Well-Being
Take more short excursions or mini-vacations (one day or a weekend) to places just a few hours from where you live instead of one week long vacation once a year. When you look forward to having fun every couple weeks or months instead of once a year, you are able to maintain a more positive outlook in life. One part of the fun of a mini vacation is the looking forward and anticipation of what good things you will experience. Then you have more positive memories after your mini vacation to remember more often.
Spend time with positive friends and limit exposure to negative. When you are around godly, positive friends that lift you up and encourage you, then you will feel much better about yourself and have a happier disposition. If you spend most of your time with people who are negative then they will affect you negatively and bring you down. You can help others who are hurting but you need to spend more time with those that are lifting you up until you have been completely healed from your past wounds. There is truth that you become like those you hang around the most. Do you want to move forward and enjoy your life? Then spend much time with those who are healthy, who laugh much and encourage you. Christians should be the happiest people on earth but it has been my experience that many speak death over their lives instead of life.
A popular song by Toby Mac states:
“Some days life feels perfect, other days, it just ain’t workin’, the good, the bad, the right, the wrong, and everything in between. Yo it’s crazy, amazing, we can turn our heart through the words we say, mountains crumble with every syllable, hope can live or die. So speak life, speak life, to the deadliest darkest night, speak life, speak life, when the sun won’t shine and you don’t know why, look into the eyes of the broken hearted, watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope, you speak love, you speak life….”
It is so critical to not speak into your existing negative circumstances because what you speak out of your mouth becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The enemy can give you what you say. One man was struggling with pornography and said “I wish I just had a stroke so i won’t struggle with porn anymore” and unfortunately he received a stroke that paralyzed one side of his body. Another man declared that he would be doing ministry around the world as the Lord told Him he would be doing and many people prophesied that he would. A few years later people around the world began reaching out to him and his ministry grew rapidly.
Visit lakes, rivers, streams and ponds. There is something about spending time out in nature, especially around water, that causes you to feel more peace in your life. Hearing birds chirping, going on hikes or walks, breathing in fresh clean air, not hearing the noise of traffic all contribute to releasing the stress and pressure that tries encroaching upon you every day. You can also hear the Lord more clearly when you are around nature.
The Lord wants you to enjoy your life. He wants you to laugh. He wants good things for you that bring life. Yes there will be rain in life, yes there will be things the enemy will do to try to cause you to get into fear. But its up to you to focus on the positive, speaking only positive, and laughing more than you worry, fear or complain. Keep your laughter and peace on!
Very encouraging. Thank you. I appreciate the stradegies which subdo the enemy. Rain Christ Reign.