“We spend all kinds of effort trying to rearrange the circumstances of our lives in order to insure our happiness.”

A thought by David Stoop in his book, You Are What You Think (Kindle Locations 211-212). Kindle Edition.

I too believe this is the key to happiness in our lives.  But the change must happen inside our heart and inside our mind. 

The Apostle Paul while in prison said it this way, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”  So it must not be a changing of circumstance but a changing of your outlook and it can be learned.

Someone has asked me where was my favorite place to have lived?  I have lived a lot of places and I said, “Where I am living at the time”.  Now I didn’t enjoy the snow on Long Island but I loved living close to my kids and I enjoyed the exercise I got when I shoveled the snow. 

I hear so many people say, “I don’t like where I live” and I say, “Then why don’t you move?  And they say, “We can’t afford to move.”  Then I say, “Then chose to be happy where you are. The reality is after a short time you won’t be happy where you move too because happiness is not based on circumstance or location”.  Paul said, “I am even content while in prison.”

Now there are some circumstances that God asks you to change so you need to be obedient to what He asks you to do.  I moved to Florida because I needed to be near to my mother, I moved to Las Vegas to give 15 years of my life to pastoring a church there but I didn’t move to be happy, I moved because it was what God asked me to do.  There is happiness and contentment in obedience to God.  That was why Paul was content.

So have you learned to be content in your circumstance?