Who doesn’t enjoy a good fairy tale? Don’t we all hope for a happily ever after?
By now I’m sure you’ve realized happiness isn’t found in finding your beast to tame or your resemblance to the world’s latest version of Cinderella. And if you’ve lived for any length of time at all, you’ve also discovered you’ll never pull it from your wallet, regardless of how fat it grows.
Though traditionally associated with fairy tales and the silver screen, happily ever after can be possible.
It’s actually found in the 5 laws of Reality rather than somewhere unreachable in once upon a time.
5 Laws of Happily Ever After:
1. Thou Shalt Be Wowed
When’s the last time you’ve stood in awe of your Creator?
To fear the Lord is not about fear, but rather believing His promises.
When we fear the Lord, we recognize His holiness and our depravity without Him. We cling to His Words. We reverence who He is because He deserves it.
We regard Him as our Ultimate Authority. And we trust Him with our lives because He reigns.
To fear the Lord is a continuing process. It’s not only standing amazed at His presence, but staying within it.
Our lives are so filled with busyness–where we too easily spin on the hamster’s wheel trying to keep up with everyone else. Within the hustle, we lose our sense of wonder in exchange for empty competition and comparisons.
Without living in a continuous state of awe-inspiring fear of our Father, we lose sight of who He is, who we are, and the very purpose behind our existence.
Our happiness will always be found within our purpose. That purpose can only be found within Him.
2. Thou Shalt Trust
It’s so easy for us to say we trust and obey in our peaceful moments. But when things go well, aren’t we usually patting ourselves on the back or rewarding someone else for their good behavior?
Who do we usually trust and obey?
The government? Our bank account? Ourselves?
And if God, can we honestly put our trust in Him and follow regardless of where the path may lead?
Reality can never be based on our individual experiences.
People and things are flawed. Within them, our experiences become relative to our surroundings and the motives for which we respond.
When we give our allegiance to the flawed, they will eventually fail us. And when they do, what we assumed to be reality will crumble as well.
Reality remains within the One who created it. And real happiness will only be found within the Truth of that reality. When we can come to a place where we fully put our faith in Him, everything else will follow.
We will never be able to answer life’s biggest questions. But in His Truth, we can find clarity and peace within all life’s circumstances and storms.
3. Thou Shalt Read
What are you reading? My bookshelves are loaded with tons of words. Words that span several decades– even centuries–by men and women who felt the need to express themselves. Whether fact or fiction, they’re all relative to the writers’ opinions at the time. And once penned to the page, they take on a life of their own.
Books stick. Whether we believe them or not, they somehow cling to us and find a way to attach themselves.
Words shape us. Internalized, we then live our lives in response to our interpretation and how they make us feel. Unfortunately, words can be depressing. They can be angry, spiteful, scary–and false.
God’s Word is our Authority.
If we aren’t reading His Words, how can we make sense of all the others? Our happiness is found in God’s Truth. We can only discover the truth by reading His Words. And reading His Words more often than anything else.
4. Thou Shalt Move
The Biggest Loser is a televised weight loss competition that has changed the lives of many people. One thing I’ve noticed is how willing the trainers are to educate the audience on living a healthy lifestyle. But how many of us take the advice and run with it?
The trainers even offer quick and simple movements to pull us off the couch during commercial breaks. Sure beats running to the frig for another bowl of ice cream!
Not once have I tried a single exercise. And though I’ve learned healthy eating alternatives and witnessed more workout sessions than I can count, I haven’t tried a one.
I admire the competitors for their hard work and sacrifice and I would love to transform myself into something more toned and fit. But so far, I haven’t moved a muscle toward it.
It’s not enough to know. At some point, you must decide to get up and go for it. No change will ever happen until we make the first step toward change.
For me, the most foolish characters in the Bible are those who met Jesus face to face–who saw His compassion and heard His love–but turned and walked away.
How tragic for us who have been given the Truth–who’ve met the Truth and know the Truth–but fail to take a step and move on the path that we know He’s purposed.
Once we know the Truth, we then must decide whether to move forward with it, or refuse the Truth by remaining just the same.
5. Thou Shalt Follow
To follow is not just a movement–it’s a lifestyle.
Once we move, we continue. Success is found at the finish line. Regardless of how many times we stumble, make a few circles, or walk at a slow pace, as long as we walk in His wisdom, we are moving ahead.
[Tweet “Success is found in the finish. #Move.”]
I’ve always been afraid of failure and it’s paralyzed me from pursuing my own happiness.
Even after I discovered the Truth, I would be moving forward when all of a sudden something would happen that would knock me off my feet. I was in a constant struggle between the words in my head and the Word I knew I should follow. No matter the situation, the fear of failure found its root within my perception of reality.
I placed my trust in the wrong things. And they failed me.
I absorbed the wrong words. And they consumed me.
I allowed my eyes to be wowed by facades. And they turned out to be a worthless waste of time.
Our happily ever after is wrapped in His wisdom. And knowing that makes me happy.
Knowing that my only job is to follow takes away the stresses of my perfectionist personality.
He will do the perfecting. All I’m to do is follow His lead.
What about you?
Where do you find your happily ever after? Leave your comments–we’d love to hear from you.