Be Happy!

Sonja Lyubomirsky is a psychology professor at the University of California.  Her book, The How of Happiness is a guide to understanding the basic principles of happiness based on years of research.  Dr. Lyubomirsky has identified eight steps to happiness:

1. Count your blessings
2. Practice acts of kindness
3. Savor life's joys
4. Thank a mentor
5. Learn to forgive
6. Invest time and energy in friends and family
7. Take care of your body
8. Develop strategies for coping with stress and hardship

These are great practices and Christ-followers can relate to these from a Scriptural perspective:

1. You are blessed (Deuteronomy 28:1-6; Matthew 5:1-11) 
2. Consider/serve others (Mark 12:31; Philippians 2:1-4)
3. Celebrate Joy (Psalm 4:7; Isaiah 55:12)
4. Extend Gratitude to Others (2 Timothy 1:3; Romans 1:8)
5. Practice Forgiveness (Matt. 6:14; Ephesians 4:32)
6. Redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16)
7. Your body is a temple (1 Corinthians 16:19-20)
8. Live courageously with hope (James 1:2; Colossians 1:11; Psalm 28:7)

If you are like me, I'm guessing you need to work on one or more of these areas.  The pursuit of joy instead of happiness would be a better phrase for Christ-followers, but that's more of a semantic debate.  Dr. Lyubomirsky has challenged all of us and God's Word provides the help we need to pursue these eight aspects of life.  Gotta go I've got to work on more than one of these!