Happily Ever After

Turn your Bibles to Second Peter chapter 1. Second Peter chapter 1 and verse number 16. Second Peter chapter 1 and verse number 16. We're going to continue our series happily uh our series on marriages made in heaven and and uh but have lived on earth. And we're going to talk about marriage. But I do want to emphasize as I talked about a couple weeks ago that this isn't just about marriage. The Bible says that the marriage relationship is a picture of Christ in the church. And a lot of what we're going to talk about today applies in many other areas of your life rather than just in marriage. And so keep that in mind as we go through that.

And over in second Peter chapter 1 and verse number 16, the Bible says, "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables. We made known unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." Some of you remember last week I used uh some fairy tales to illustrate the marriage relationship and uh and and we're going to get into the Bible relationships and look at them in a couple weeks, but I wanted to stay with that fairy tale theme. Now, the Bible, of course, is not a book of fairy tales. It's not a book of fables. It's the truth of the word of God.

But yet, there are there are lessons that we can learn and apply in illustrative way from some of the fairy tales that we're familiar with. And and one of the things that in most fairy tales is is this phrase you will hear almost every time and that is you'll hear a phrase and they lived happily ever after. Right? They lived happily ever after. You know, everybody wants to live happily ever after. Uh whether you're married or not, whatever your life situation, we all want to live happily ever after. But here's the thing. The Bible uses the word some form of the word happiness, some form of it 30 times, but it uses the word joy or some variation of it 462 times.

There's a difference between happiness and joy. And if you can understand the difference, it will really transform your life as well. Now the thing about happiness, happiness happens. Happiness happens. You see, happiness comes from the word happen. And your happiness is mostly based upon what happens to you at the moment. If everything is happening good, if everything's going well, then you're happy. But if bad things happen, then you're no longer happy. So our happiness is based on what is happening to us at the time. In Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and verse number 11, it says, "I returned and saw unto the son that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, but time and chance happenth to them all."

In other words, it doesn't matter how strong you are. It doesn't matter how wise you are. It doesn't matter how rich you are. It doesn't matter how how skilled you are. When life happens, all those things don't matter, do they? You can be the strongest man in the world. We had a guy in the church who ran marathons and and he was in uh he was a health nut and he was in good condition, rode his bike everywhere, ended up with cancer. You can be the strongest person around. You can be the wisest person. You can be all these things. And yet the truth is life happens. A and the prefix for ha ha hap of happiness the prefix h a p means luck or chance.

So your happiness is pretty much based upon luck or chance. If good things happen then you're happy. If bad things happen then you're not happy. A and that's where happiness comes from. It's not something that we can control. It's what happens to you. In Acts chapter 26 and verse two, Paul is on trial for his life and he's in prison. He's on trial for his life. And he says this to the king. He says in Acts 26:2, "I think myself happy, King Agria." You see, he was not in circumstances that made him happy. I don't know about you, but being in jail wouldn't make me happy. Uh being beaten wouldn't make me happy.

Being on trial for my life wouldn't make me happy. And yet Paul said, "I think myself happy because my situation doesn't make me happy, but I have to make a choice here." And you know, you ever notice that fairy tales are scary? You know, we read these fairy tales to our children, and it's all kinds of scary things. Parents die. Almost every fairy tale, the parents have died. You got the evil stepmother or evil stepfather. You got poisonings going on. You got kidnapped by a beast. Uh they're thrown in an oven. evil spells. I I mean, this is what we read to our children at bedtime. No wonder they have nightmares.

You know, life is scary, folks. The reality, life is scary. A lot of bad things can happen. Just got a a text from a form member today and his his 13-year-old nephew died. That wasn't expected. And and when you go through situations, life uh life is scary. In Hebrews chapter 11, turn over there with me if you would. Hebrews chapter 11 and look look at verses 30 through 40. Hebrews chapter 11 and beginning with verse number 32. Hebrews 11:32. What shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barack, and of Samson, and of Jeepa, and David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrote rot righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword.

Out of the weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. woman received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had a trial of cruel mockings and scourgings scourgings. Yay moreover of bonds and imp uh imprisonment. They were stoned. They were saun. They were tempted. Were slain with a sword. They wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth.

And these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise. God has provided some better thing for us that without us should not be made perfect. You know folks, living in this world, we're living in a scary place. Living in this world, we're going to face all kinds of things that are going to happen to us that we have many often no control over and yet they still happen. And we need to understand that. Now we have a better place. We have the promise of heaven. We have a promise where there's no more sickness, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more tears. But yet in this world, we live in a scary place.

Life is scary. And life happens to all of us. In Matthew 5 and verse 45, that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven. For he maketh sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendth rain on the just and the unjust. You know, I'm sure there's some very godly people this this yesterday that their houses were destroyed by tornadoes just as there were ungodly people. That's happened. That's life. That's what happens. A and we all live in this world of sin. And life happens to all of us and it's going to happen to you. So don't be surprised at some point something is going to happen in your life that is unexpected.

Something is going to happen in your life that is not going to make you happy. In 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 12 it says beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you. You see just because we're Christians doesn't mean we won't get sick. Just because we're Christians doesn't mean we won't be cheated. Just because we're Christians doesn't mean we won't lose money in in investments. Just because we're Christians doesn't mean that life does not happen to us. Now, here's the difference. We have Jesus. I I can't imagine how people go through life without Jesus.

How they can face sickness, how they can face death, how they can face trials and tribulations, how they can face the things of this life without Jesus. But the truth is, it's going to happen to you. if it hasn't already is going to because life happens to all of us. Sometimes it just happens. Go over to Luke chapter 13. The book of Luke chapter 13 and look at verse number 1-5. Luke chapter 13, beginning with verse number one says, "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices." In other words, they were they were they were killed.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Suppose these Galileans were sinners above all the sinners because they had suffered such things." He said, "I tell you, nay, but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Or those 18 upon whom the tower and Saleom fell and slew them, thinking that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem. I tell you, nay, but except you repent, you shall all like likewise perish." In other words, what he's saying is, listen, life happens to all of us and and we're not exempt from it happening. Now, sometimes we're the ones that make it happen. And in Galatians chapter 6 and verse number 7, the Bible says, "Be not deceived.

God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man seweth, that shall he also reap." And some of what happens to us in life is we are the ones that made it happen because of what we did or what we didn't do. You know, you may run into financial problems because you didn't invest properly or or you you didn't take care of your responsibilities. You may get sick because you didn't take care of yourself and eat right and exercise or you put bad things in your body like alcohol or drugs. And and so sometimes life happens to to us because we made it happen. But life also happens to all of us whether we did it or not because that's life.

That's the world that we live in. And see, a lot of us are just kind of sitting around waiting for something to happen. Go over to Psalms chapter 144. Psalms chapter 144. You know, a lot of us have this attitude. Well, I'll just be happy if or I'll be happy when. If I can just get enough money, I'll be happy. If I can just get this new car, I'll be happy. If I could just get a house, I'll be happy. Or if I could just get married, I'll be happy. Or if I just get divorced, I'll be happy. Or if I get uh you know, and it just goes the list goes on and on and on. And a lot of people live their life just with this attitude with if this happens, I will be happy.

In Psalms chapter 144 11-15 the Bible says rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth. That our daughters may be as cornerstones polished after the similitude of a palace. That our garners may be f full according affording all manner of store. That our sheep may bring forth thousands and 10 thousands in our streets. that our oxen may be strong to labor, there be no breaking in or going out, that there be no complaining in our streets. Happy is that people that is such a case.

Yeah. Happy is the people whose God is the Lord. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm happy when I got money in the bank. Aren't you? I I'm happy when all my kids are being good. I'm happy when nobody's sick. I I'm happy when everybody's happy with me. And and there's nothing wrong with that. That's the way life is is is we are happy when everything happens in the way we want. But the problem is a lot of us we keep saying, well, if I just had more money, if I just had this or had that, I would be happy. And we're striving for a goal that there's always another goal to reach for. Go over to the book of Habach.

Now, Habach is one of those smaller books in the Bible. So, I I wrote down the page number in my notes. It's on page 1,353 of my Bible. So, if you have a Ryrie study Bible, uh, then you can find that, but if not, you're going to have to do the work on your own. It's right before Zephaniah, if that helps you, if you c spot that at all. And it's only three chapters long and is right after Nahm. And so, kind of in that section there, a little towards the end of the Old Testament, the book of Habach. And here's what it says in Habach chapter 3 and verses 17-9. Listen carefully. Now remember we just read if if we got if I got cattle and if I got sheep and I got good crops, I'm happy.

Okay, that's what we just read in Psalms 144. Listen to back of chapter 3:17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herds in the stalls. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like hines's feet and he will make me to walk upon mine high places to the chief singer on my string detriments. back and said, ' Listen, even if I don't have any sheep and my crops are all dead and I have nothing in the bank, I'm still going to rejoice in the Lord.

See, folks, if you're going to allow your circumstances to decide whether you're going to be happy or not, you're going to go through life on a roller coaster. And that roller coaster is going to be more downhill than uphill. And that's going to be scary. And so we got to realize that you can't look to life to make you happy because nothing truly will make you happy outside of Jesus Christ. Look at the book of Ecclesiastes. It's right after Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes chapter se chapter 2. Ecclesiastes chapter 2. Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and verses 10 and 11. And whatsoever mine eyes desired, I kept not from them.

I withheld not my heart from any joy. For my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my portion of all my labor. Then I looked on the works of the that my hands had wrought and on the labor that I labored to do, and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit on his son. What he's what he's saying here is I I strove to find my happiness in everything else. Some of you, you think, I'll just be happy if I get to this point in my career. And then you get there and that, well, what's next? Some of you think, well, I'll just be happy if I can just get this money much money in the bank.

And then when you get that much money, now you want more. It just never satisfied. See, happiness will never satisfy you completely. I I I read a story one time about a uh after church, a couple of ladies were walking down the uh the walkway of the church and and one of them was saying to the others, you know, if I just had $100, I would be happy. And there was a fellow in the church that had was well to do, had some money, and so he thought, "Well, I I'll just make her happy." So he walked up and gave her $100. And as he walked away, he heard the lady say to her friend, "I should have wished for a thousand."

And see, that's what happiness is. It's it it just never satisfies. It it it never really completes you. Yeah, you're happy for a little while, but then this what well, what's next? Or what about this? Or or that's not making me happy now. And and we keep looking for this elusive happiness that we can never find. So, if you're waiting for something to happen to make you happy, you're waiting for the wrong thing. But what you need to do is you need to make things happen. In Psalms 128:2, it says, "For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands, happy shalt thou be, and it should be well with thee." You want to be happy in your marriage, you got to work at it.

Takes work. Labor. You want to be happy in your life, you got to work at it. Takes labor. See, happiness doesn't happen. You got to work at it to make happen. And and so you got to do it. But in John 13:1 17, Jesus said this, "If you know these things, happy are you if you do them." Knowing them is not going to make you happy, but if you do it, that's what's going to make you happy. If you know these things, happier you do it. In Ezra 7:10, Ezra said, "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach in Israel's statute of judgment." He said, "I'm going to find out what God wants and I'm going to do it."

And that's what's going to make you happy and don't quit. In James chapter 5 and verse 11, it says, "Behold, we count them happy which endure." You've heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercies. A lot of people, they don't find happiness because they just quit too soon. Well, pastor, I'm not happy in my marriage. I'm I'm getting divorced. Well, if you would endure and stay with it, you'll find that happiness again. See, a lot of times we don't find the happiness because we just give up. We quit. We're not willing to put the effort in.

And that's how you're going to find that happiness. But happiness is based upon what happens to you. And often you have no control over that. And so what we want, we don't want happiness, we want joy. Because joy rejoices. Philippians 4:4, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say, rejoice. And joy rejoices. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. Go over to Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 and look at verses 22-2. I've been teaching a startpoint class for those that are new in the church. We'd love to have you join us if you're new. And uh in that class, one of the things I do is I I give them food.

Last week, we had my wife's famous chocolate chip brownies. This week we had Leonard's malasadas and next week we're going to have probably have either Spanish bread or cocoa puffs and and so that's worth coming to my class just for that. And I also give books and one of the books I gave them is a book my book that I wrote on the fruit of the spirit. And the fruit of the spirit it says here in Galatians chapter 5 and beginning with verse number 22. Galatians 5 and beginning with verse number 22. The Bible says, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

Against such there is no law, and they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections of lust. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit." Okay, so the fruit of the spirit and joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. Now, those of you who have been when I preached on this, one of the things when I first studied this passage, I thought the fruit of the spirit. Well, then what fruit would represent each of the fruits of the spirit? When God gives us a physical illustration of a of a spiritual truth, you want to kind of put those two together. So, what I did is I went down to the store and started doing ome research and kind what fruit represents the fruit of, excuse me, love.

And the fruit I came up with in my mind was a peach because a peach on the outside is soft and fuzzy and sweet like a Hallmark card, you know, but then when you bite into it, sooner or later you're going to hit the pits. And the real test of love is what do you do when you hit the pits in the relationship? What do you do when you hit the hard things? And then you got joy. And I thought, well, what what would represent joy? And and the fruit I thought of immediately was a lemon because when you bite into a lemon, it's it's very sour and you got the sour look on your face, the opposite of joy. But I also thought when I think of lemon and joy together, I I think of lemon joy dishwashing soap.

And I think that's a perfect illustration of joy. You see, it's the opposite of of sour. It's the opposite of these things. You say joy is what we add to our problems to make them better. Happiness is no dirty dishes. Right, ladies? Happiness is no dirty dishes. You get up and there's no dirty dishes in the sink. You're you're happy. By the way, men, you want to make your wife happy? Wash the dishes. After she goes to bed, there's a sink full of dirty dishes. Wash them all. And she gets in the morning, sees those clean dishes, then she's going to be happy. and you're going to be happy and everybody's gonna be happy.

We had a saying in our house, if mom ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. And it didn't mean that mom was a grump. It just meant when mom's not happy, then I'm not happy. And if I'm not happy, I'm certainly going to make my sure my kids are not happy. So if you want to be happy, you better make mom happy so I'll be happy so you'll be happy. But anyways, the point is is is is happiness is a sink full of clean dishes, but joy is what you add to the dishes to make them clean. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 8:2, how that in great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded on the riches of their liberality.

Their affliction, what did they add to that affliction? Joy. See, when you're washing those dishes, put some dishwashes soap in there. It makes the whole job easier. And when you're going through a bad situation, add the joy of the Lord. add the joy of the Lord. Look at James chapter 1. James chapter 1 and verses 2-4. James chapter 1 and verses 2-4. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall in diverse temptations. You're supposed to have joy when things are going bad. Yeah. Count it all joy knowing this that the trying of faith workketh with patience. But let patience have her perfect work that you be perfect entire wanting nothing.

And so happiness is based upon what happens to me. But joy is what I can add to my trials in life to find more peace to help me to deal with those problems. Psalm 16:1 it says, "Thou will show me the path of life. In thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forever more." You know, when the dishes are really dirty and caked on and stuck on there, you know what the best thing to do is? Put them in the sink with some hot water and some dishwashing soap and let them soak. And sometimes when life happens and things are not going well, just let it soak in the joy of the Lord.

Start counting your many blessings. Start looking for the joy of the Lord even in your circumstances and find the blessings of God. Joy comes from salvation. In Luke 10 and verse 20, the Bible says, "Rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Can you rejoice because your name is written in heaven? In 1 John 5:es 12 and 13, it says, "He that hath the son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. Do you know that your name is written down in heaven that God has prepared a place for you in heaven?

Do you know that if you died today that you go to heaven? That's rejoicing. No matter what happens this life, I can rejoice in knowing that I'm going to heaven. Sometimes people ask me, "Well, pastor, how you doing?" I say, 'Well, I think I might live. It's kind of a joking way to say, "I'm doing okay." But sometimes people will get real concerned. Is there something wrong? Are you going to die? And they'll say something like this. Well, I hope you live. And I do, too. But you know what Paul said? For me to live is Christ to die is gain. What's the worst thing could happen to me? I'm going to die and go to heaven.

I can have joy in that. So joy comes from knowing you're saved, knowing your name is written in that lamb's book of life. In Hebrews 12 and verse number two, the Bible says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Do you think God Do you think Jesus enjoyed being on the cross? Do you think that made him happy? No. But what what where did he find his joy? In knowing that he was going to save us from sin. I am so thankful that God found joy in dying for me.

His joy was in our salvation. Do you have the joy of your salvation? In Hebrews 3:18, it said, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. Is he the God of your salvation? If not, you can joyfully receive him today. In Luke 19 and verse 6, it says, "And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully." In Romans chap 10 9 and 10, it says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God has raised the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In Romans 10:13 it says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." And today you can joyfully call upon his name to save you from your sins and to give you eternal life because he rejoiced in dying for you on the cross to pay for your sins. How many ever seen the acronym for joy? What it spells out? Jesus first, others second, yourself last. And that's what true joy is. Look at Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10 and look at verses 25- 27. Luke chapter 10, beginning with verse number 25. Jesus answered them,"I told you and you believe not. The works that I do in my father's name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not because you are not of my sheep as I said unto you.

My sheep hear my voice." And I know I'm sorry, I'm reading John. Let's try Luke again. That didn't sound quite right. Luke chapter Find my place here again. Luke chapter 10 and verses 25- 27. I'll get to the right place now. Luke 10:25. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, what what is written in the law, how readest thou? And he answered, and said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. He said unto them, I have answered, write this, do, and thou shalt see.

To love God first, to love others second, and yourself like last. That's where true joy comes in. putting Jesus first. Go over to the book of Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1 and verses 10 and 11. Colossians chapter 1 and:es 10 and 11. That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pa pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according his glory of power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. You know, it's serving God with joy. Too many Christians look like they're sucking on a lemon all the time. And we ought to have the joy of the Lord.

Serving God without joy is like like drinking lemonade without sugar. It's the joy of the Lord. Jesus first others second. Look at Philippians chapter 2 and verses 17 and 18. Philippians chapter 2 and verses 17 and 18. Yay. And if I be offered upon the sacrifice in service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me. You will find great joy in serving others. What a privilege is what a blessing is to serve others. The word offered means to be poured out. Every last drop you can squeeze out. To serve others is such a blessing, such a joy.

In 2 Timothy 1:16, Paul said this, "The Lord give mercy unto the house of Anessarus, for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my shame." When you serve others, like giving them a cup of cold water on a hot day. It's just being such a blessing. And we need to be a be that blessing. Jesus first, others second, yourself last. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 9 and look at verse number 7. 2 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse number seven. Every man according to his purpose, his heart, let him give, so let him give not grudgingly or necessity. For God loveth a cheerful giver. See, God wants us to give with joy.

He wants us to be the people of joy. In 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and verses 2 and verse number five, it says, "How in that great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded on the riches of their liberality." In verse 5, "And this they did, not as we hope, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God." You want to find joy for yourself, put Jesus first, others second, yourself last. When you give of yourself, that's when you truly find joy. So the question is, do you have joy? But you understand, there's no joy without sorrow. In 2 Corinthians 6:10, it says, "As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things."

You say, "How can I have joy when I have nothing? How can I have joy when I have sorrow? How can I have joy when I'm poor?" Because it's not based on what happens to me. In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the hungry and thirsty. Blessed are merciful, pure, peacemakers, persecuted, revile again evil against you." Those don't sound like joyful things, folks. None of those sound like joyful things. So, how can you rejoice in that? Because you have to understand that that like with electricity, in order to have a positive, you have to have a negative.

And people say, why do we have those lows in our life so we can enjoy the highs. It's like I talked about the other week, you can't be in love all the time because it wouldn't be the same. The love feeling is that high that we get to enjoy. So what are you going to do? You going to be happy or you going to have joy? The difference is how you change your attitude. In Isaiah 51:1, it says, "Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head. they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. You have to change your attitude.

You have to realize that I can either let the circumstances decide whether I'm going to be happy or not or like Paul said, I think myself happy. I choose joy instead of letting things happen to me. You got to change your thinking. In Proverbs 15:23, a man hath joy by the answer of his mouth and a word spoken in due season. How good is it? Where's the joy come from? Not what your spouse says to you, but what you choose to say back to them. How you respond to it. You know, I found that people complain all the time don't have joy. People that murmur all the time don't have joy. People that find fault with everything don't have joy.

And whether you let it come out your mouth or just let it be in your brain. You let it live. And as long as you're negative, as long as you complain and gripe and murmur and all the rest of it, you're not going to find joy. Change your thinking and change your attitude and change your actions. In 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 10, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing. As poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things. Change your actions. Choose. You can choose to be sorrowful or you can choose to rejoice. You can choose to be poor or you can be rich in the blessings of God.

You can choose to have nothing or you can choose to realize that I have everything in Christ. You say, "Well, pastor, how does this apply to marriage?" Because a lot of marriages, we live our whole life based upon what happens. Either what happens to us as a couple and we let that control our relationship or what happens in each other. And we're constantly responding up and down on that roller coaster instead of having the joy of the Lord and to make the right choices in our life. And that applies not just to marriage but to every area of our life.