The Power To Be Cheerful

We all have heart work to do. This is what I call the discipline of coping with the problems in life. Sometimes heart work is HARD work. Sometimes a person cannot cope. Other times we struggle to cope alone, forgetting to look up, and ask our Heavenly Father to help us. It takes an entire lifetime to accomplish the heart work that God gives us. So how are we supposed to to this?

If I was taking a walk with my tiny daughter, and we came to a huge puddle, which would I rather she do: stand there and cry, try to find her own way around it, far from me, walk right into it, getting her shoes wet and cold, or ask me to carry her? Well, of course, I would rather she ask me to carry her. We are children of God, and when we come to a difficult place in our lives, it is His will that we turn to Him, and ask for help. But often we forget. We weep, we attempt to find a way to escape, or to get through by ourselves.

Life here on earth can be very difficult. God meant it to be that way. Why would I say such a thing? Because I have come to accept struggle as a holy gift, given in love.

If that sounds peculiar, one only needs to think a bit deeper. Begin with contemplating the simple difficulty of one's daily chores.

It is easy to enjoy a job that is stimulating, exciting, challenging and rewarding. But no work can be that good all of the time. It is a gift from God to be able to enjoy your work, particularly when it is not pleasant.

When I have been bored, or quite frankly, sick and tired of my chores, it has helped me to go to my Heavenly Father, and ask for the ability to see things in a more cheerful light. For it IS an ability to look at dismal things in a positive way. It is a power. It is a gift from God. The Bible says so.

* Every man also to whom God ... hath given him power to ... rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. Ecc. 5:19a,c,20

Matthew Henry's commentary explains that this phrase: "he shall not much remember" means "he shall not look back with disappointment".

We shall not look back with disappointment upon the days of our lives, if we purposefully work without resentment, and thus experience the joy that God so freely offers His children. But we need God's power, in order to determine to work without resentment. Does this sound like a circular design? It is. And God's designs are always perfect. Without God's power, we cannot decide to be cheerful. Without being cheerful, we cannot be given the true and pure joy that only God can give. The gift of joy is not normally given to someone who is sitting in a dark hole with their head down. One must crawl out into the sun, at least, before one can be warmed. One must make an effort. That effort can be as small as raising one's eyes to the Lord for help.

The more we ask God to help us, the more blessings we receive. And the more blessings we receive, the more we crave. It is a circular pattern, and God planned it that way, to keep our eyes ever looking upward.

Also the phrase "in the joy of his heart" --God answers his prayers in giving him "power" to enjoy his blessings. Gesenius and Vulgate translate, "For God so occupies him with joy," etc., that he thinks not much of the shortness and sorrows of life.")

Imagine that! God is able to fill us with a steady stream of joy, like sunshine. Enough so that we don't even think much about the sorrows of life! Well, if He can do that, why don't more people ask Him to? Why are streets and churches filled with weary faces, and selfish, critical people?

Negative feelings seem to be more dominant than positive ones. The word gravity comes to mind, when I think of the grave, gloomy faces I see everywhere I go. Much like gravity pulls our bodies to the earth, our natural human natures appear to fall much more easily than to rise.

Perhaps that is because God desires us to look up to Him, for our joy. If joy came naturally to humans, would they even bother to look to their Creator? Wouldn't they just spend their lives completely involved with their own affairs, and never raise their eyes to the hills? If we were always fulfilled and happy, and never needed help, we wouldn't even be aware of God's powerful gifts, ready and available to us for the asking.

* I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. Psa 121:1

If we never needed help, it would not even occur to us that we have a desperate need for salvation, and to know where we are going when we die. I think it makes complete sense that God made people with an inborn tendency to be negative. Therein is born the desire to search for something better. To become aware of God's mercy, and open to His love. To have a deep desire and need for His salvation. This is, after all, our training ground for eternity. This land, and this life is the place where we learn all that we can, about our Heavenly Father, and how to please Him. The place where we find the way to be saved.

So if we were never sad on this earth, we would probably never be saved, and go to Heaven. Is it worth it, then, to suffer as we do? Absolutely. It is worth any price to turn our hearts to God, and receive his free gift, available to all for the asking - eternity with Him.

So the entire gamut of life's trials, from mundane daily work, to the anguish of loss, have a purpose for our heart work. We do have things to be grateful for, if only life and breath, and the opportunity to walk with Christ. There is always someone in worse calamity than ours. Each trial is a teacher. Whether we learn anything from it or not, God leaves up to us. Which attitude do you think God loves best - a sour, griping one, or a cheerful, willing one? Which action do you think God is most pleased with - a sinking into despair, or a plea for Him to help? The Bible is clear about what we are supposed to do.

* Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 1Ch 16:11

Naturally, no one can be cheerful all the time. Far from it. But I am convinced that our Heavenly Father wants us to summon the strength to at least confess to Him that we are weak, and cannot fight our sorrow by ourselves, but need His help. It is then, that with joy, He will give His help. So our struggles bring us closer to God, much more frequently than earthly joys do. That is what makes struggling a holy gift. It is an open door to the heart of God.

* My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. Psa 121:2

2005 Rosemary Gwaltney