Alli Worthington - The Year of Living Happy: Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World

You were created to experience joy!

I have a sweet friend who always says, Girl, my happy has deep roots. Regardless of her life circumstances, good or bad, she reminds me that her happiness is rooted way past the temporary trials of the day to the eternal goodness of God. I am always amazed at the way she responds to what life throws at her; whether its burned casseroles or broken bones, she calmly, joyfully takes it in stride.

I love my friends expression because it reminds me that happiness is something God wants for me. Its okay for me to desire happiness because its Gods desire for me as well.

Its also a great reminder that God wants us to stay rooted in Him to have happy, full lives that bear wonderful fruit. As Christians, we are allowed to be happy; we just need to keep in mind that true happiness comes only from Him. It does not come through our material possessions, our relationships, or our circumstances.

When our happy has deep roots, those roots allow us to weather the droughts and storms of life. They allow us to trust in the goodness of God and to produce sweet fruit that reflects the heart of our loving Savior, Jesus. Jeremiah 17 tells us, Blessed is the man who trusts in the L ORD and whose trust is the L ORD . For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit (vv. 78 NASB ). In short, our deep roots allow us to live happy lives.

My prayer for you today is that your happy will have deep roots. And my prayer for you this year is that your roots will grow so deep toward the eternal goodness of God that you will be forever changed.

Today, open your Bible to Jeremiah 17:78, record the date there or below, and write the phrase, My happy has deep roots. Consider doodling or drawing around the phrase to help it go even deeper into your brain.

[Your Response Here]

G rowing up, I remember being told that joy was spelled, J-O-YJesus, others, and you. It was supposed to be a reminder that joy comes from having the right priorities, and thats certainly true. But it seemed as if joy were always pitted against happiness. While joy was godly and spiritual, happiness was shallow and selfish. But as I kept walking with Jesus, I came to understand that seeking to follow God and seeking to be happy werent mutually exclusive.

Our happiness (and our joy) are tied to what we desire most. Our problem with seeking happiness is that we try to find it in things that cant sustain our happiness. But when we desire to find our happiness in God, we access a well of joy that wont run dry.