Joyful

Be joyful always (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Two men famous in English literature were both lame. Lord Byron was made bitter by his handicap; he brooded on it and allowed it to drive him away from God and society. But Sir Walter Scott never complained about being unable to walk. His writings show the optimism and gentleness that characterized his personality. It is not surprising that Lord Byron once wrote a letter to Scott, which read in part: "I would give my fame to have your happiness."

A wise person once told me that there is only one thing in your life that you can truly control—your attitude. Both Byron and Scott were famous writers; both men were unable to walk. One man was bitter, the other optimistic. What was the difference between these two men? Their attitude. Byron let his problems poison his outlook on life. Sir Walter Scott, however, made the decision to focus on the good things that filled his days; he was determined not to let his disability cost him his happiness.

When you wake up in the morning, you have a decision to make. You can go through the coming day doing the natural thing—you can react with anger and impatience when troubles get in your hair. Of course, your resulting foul temper will lead you to snarl at everyone around you, making their day miserable too, and you will go to bed frustrated and unable to sleep. Or, you can make a different choice—you can decide to focus on the blessings that God scatters throughout your day. You can be grateful that you woke up to another day of life, a day in which you can receive Jesus’ love and reflect that love to others. You can slide around in bed, enjoying the soft warmth of the sheets against your skin. You can savor the taste of a cup of coffee or a glass of juice. You can enjoy the blueness of the sky or the whiteness of the snow. You can appreciate the sound of people laughing. No matter what problems get thrown in your face, there are plenty of good things in your life to give your day joy, if you only look in the right place. When you make up your mind to live this way, your joy will inspire the people around you, and when you go to bed, you can drift off to sleep with contentment in your heart. You may not be able to control what happens in your life, but you can decide how you will respond. The choice is yours.