IS THIS REALLY THE “NEW NORMAL”?
Think of it this way . . .
How are you handling this crazy pandemic thing? Some aren’t handling it well at all. Due to quarantining, national news reports that domestic violence is now on the increase, resulting in a murder, in one case. So much for togetherness! A popular adage has been, “The family that prays together stays together.” But in these stay-at-home times it doesn’t take much dysfunctional idiosyncratic action on the part of one fool to tick off another one. When we let getting on each other’s nerves fester, we don’t feel much like praying together, do we?
Can there be too much togetherness? Those of us who are reclusive, wannabe hermits-at-heart would be inclined to say, “Yes!” Maybe that’s why someone else made up the adage, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Getting through difficult times like these has a great deal to do with attitude and a divinely enlightened frame-of-mind. Like this, described by Apostle Paul:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable…. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me. Then the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:6–9, NLT)
If you truly desire to live life fully, with a goodly amount of satisfaction, contentment and some degree of happiness, then follow Paul’s life-reviving instructions.
Here are a few other ‘take-aways’:
1) “Don’t worry, be happy.”
2) Pray and be thankful (a thankful heart is a peaceful heart.
3) Highly intelligent people aren’t always happy; the very wealthy aren’t always happy; modern technology doesn’t automatically offer complete happiness (knowing all of this, you’re going to be just about as happy as you finally make up your mind to be.
4) Practice what God’s Word says – “live OUT what God has worked IN.”
Knowledge, insight and understanding of God’s Word, along with a grateful, loving heart, will offer a special, deep-down, abiding joy in most every situation.
-John D.
