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They say misery loves company. A happy person would drive and unhappy person crazy. 
As for happy people driving unhappy people crazy, the Bible backs you up there.
Prov. 25:20 - As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
Just a few observations:
1. A person is not a bully if they logically and kindly present a contrary opinion. Here are some definitions to help with this.
bully (noun):a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.
bully (verb): to act the bully toward; intimidate; domineer.
Thus, even someone who is very *emphatic* about their view is not being a bully unless they attempt to force their view on others, quiet dissenting opinions, or shame others into agreement or silence.
2. Engaging in name-calling is irrational, unkind, and a manifestation of our own frustration and anger.
3. Expecting the lives of other people to look just like our own life is unfair and self-aggrandizing.
4. Presuming that joy and happiness are the same thing is flat out incorrect.
5. Presuming that being a happy person and being a Godly person are synonymous is incorrect. (After all, just look at the lives of some of the prophets).
6. Presuming that our happiness level is a measure of our closeness to God is incorrect. (Corrie ten Boom has a story of feeling discouraged and separated from God during a particular period in the concentration camp, Ravensbruck. She had a sense of life being "dark" and felt far from God. He revealed to her that she was under the SHADOW of his wings. Thus, she realized all along that God had pulled her closer, yet it was not reflected in her emotional state).
7. Presuming that our activity level is an indicator of our closeness to God is also incorrect. Being busy is not the same thing as being Godly. Being busy with "God's work" is not the same thing as being Godly. If you give all you possess to the poor and surrender your body to flames, but have not love...you are nothing.
8. Comparing our lives to the lives of others is odious. It either breeds arrogance or envy. It's not the measure God uses on us.
9. Joy can co-exist with a lot of other fairly complicated emotions. In fact, according to Brene Brown, joy is always accompanied by a deep sense of vulnerability. So, I may realize how much in love I am with a person (joy), and at the same time realize how painful it would be if that person wasn't in my life.
10. The solution to experiencing painful emotions isn't to avoid them via "putting on a happy face," or "serving others," or "getting busy," etc. Sometimes faking it until you make it (putting on a happy face) does help a person. Some people are able to process their pain by throwing themselves into busily serving others. However, that doesn't work for everyone. We need to be sensitive to the fact that people deal with pain in different ways.
1. A person is not a bully if they logically and kindly present a contrary opinion. Here are some definitions to help with this.
bully (noun):a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.
bully (verb): to act the bully toward; intimidate; domineer.
Thus, even someone who is very *emphatic* about their view is not being a bully unless they attempt to force their view on others, quiet dissenting opinions, or shame others into agreement or silence.
2. Engaging in name-calling is irrational, unkind, and a manifestation of our own frustration and anger.
3. Expecting the lives of other people to look just like our own life is unfair and self-aggrandizing.
4. Presuming that joy and happiness are the same thing is flat out incorrect.
5. Presuming that being a happy person and being a Godly person are synonymous is incorrect. (After all, just look at the lives of some of the prophets).
6. Presuming that our happiness level is a measure of our closeness to God is incorrect. (Corrie ten Boom has a story of feeling discouraged and separated from God during a particular period in the concentration camp, Ravensbruck. She had a sense of life being "dark" and felt far from God. He revealed to her that she was under the SHADOW of his wings. Thus, she realized all along that God had pulled her closer, yet it was not reflected in her emotional state).
7. Presuming that our activity level is an indicator of our closeness to God is also incorrect. Being busy is not the same thing as being Godly. Being busy with "God's work" is not the same thing as being Godly. If you give all you possess to the poor and surrender your body to flames, but have not love...you are nothing.
8. Comparing our lives to the lives of others is odious. It either breeds arrogance or envy. It's not the measure God uses on us.
9. Joy can co-exist with a lot of other fairly complicated emotions. In fact, according to Brene Brown, joy is always accompanied by a deep sense of vulnerability. So, I may realize how much in love I am with a person (joy), and at the same time realize how painful it would be if that person wasn't in my life.
10. The solution to experiencing painful emotions isn't to avoid them via "putting on a happy face," or "serving others," or "getting busy," etc. Sometimes faking it until you make it (putting on a happy face) does help a person. Some people are able to process their pain by throwing themselves into busily serving others. However, that doesn't work for everyone. We need to be sensitive to the fact that people deal with pain in different ways.
G
Mitspa, hope all is well.
Some people have "down" days. Others have chronic depression. Still, there are those who face multiple burdens and challenges. Their world is never stable. You know.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Philippians. 4
Those positive words are from Paul. He wrote them while in he was in chains, bonds. Philippians 1.
Not all Christians are going to be able to always be happy and cheerful. In fact, there were saints before the Lord's throne crying out to Him. They were in the very presence of God, but they are depicted as being anxious, unhappy at that moment. It's in Revelation.
So Paul exhorts the Philippians to rejoice, and Revelation shows us saints crying unto the Lord. Yes, Christians face sorrows, heartaches, hurts. They will not always be happy.
If I am happy but my brother or sister is not: I am to bear their burden. Galatians 6.
And if my brother rejoices in the truth and in the blessings of the Lord, I should rejoice with that brother or sister.
But what about weeping? If my brother weeps for the lost, weeps for a tragedy in his or her life, weeps because of dark days, I am not to condemn him or her. Romans 12.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice.
Be happy all the time? No. Rejoice over sin? No. Rejoice when your enemy suffers? No. But in our sorrows, in our losses, we are to look and put our confidence in our heart into the blessings in Christ Jesus. Our earthly circumstances are not reason to rejoice. Our spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus are cause for rejoicing. And that takes time to learn. We see clearer as we learn. And one of the hardest lessons in this life to learn and to accept is: This world won't satisfy. Never. Never. Never.
Mitspa, please cease and desist with the harsh criticism. Okay. Please. Try to make amends with the members on this thread that you have had heated discussion with. Please. I hope you will do that.
Some people have "down" days. Others have chronic depression. Still, there are those who face multiple burdens and challenges. Their world is never stable. You know.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Philippians. 4
Those positive words are from Paul. He wrote them while in he was in chains, bonds. Philippians 1.
Not all Christians are going to be able to always be happy and cheerful. In fact, there were saints before the Lord's throne crying out to Him. They were in the very presence of God, but they are depicted as being anxious, unhappy at that moment. It's in Revelation.
So Paul exhorts the Philippians to rejoice, and Revelation shows us saints crying unto the Lord. Yes, Christians face sorrows, heartaches, hurts. They will not always be happy.
If I am happy but my brother or sister is not: I am to bear their burden. Galatians 6.
And if my brother rejoices in the truth and in the blessings of the Lord, I should rejoice with that brother or sister.
But what about weeping? If my brother weeps for the lost, weeps for a tragedy in his or her life, weeps because of dark days, I am not to condemn him or her. Romans 12.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice.
Be happy all the time? No. Rejoice over sin? No. Rejoice when your enemy suffers? No. But in our sorrows, in our losses, we are to look and put our confidence in our heart into the blessings in Christ Jesus. Our earthly circumstances are not reason to rejoice. Our spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus are cause for rejoicing. And that takes time to learn. We see clearer as we learn. And one of the hardest lessons in this life to learn and to accept is: This world won't satisfy. Never. Never. Never.
Mitspa, please cease and desist with the harsh criticism. Okay. Please. Try to make amends with the members on this thread that you have had heated discussion with. Please. I hope you will do that.
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M
Look...folks are happy and joyful ..thats how God intended His people to be...the oil of gladness is upon those who hear and obey.
The Joy of the Lord is my strength ...if this offends folks? Im sorry ...If your having struggles and you want to post them on this thread...Im fine with that..but don't attack others for being what God has called us to be.
As far as being rude or harsh with others....I don't see that at all... and im not going to debate the issue... I have said what I said ..and stand by the intention of what I have said...so just let the issue die...I know I have
The Joy of the Lord is my strength ...if this offends folks? Im sorry ...If your having struggles and you want to post them on this thread...Im fine with that..but don't attack others for being what God has called us to be.
As far as being rude or harsh with others....I don't see that at all... and im not going to debate the issue... I have said what I said ..and stand by the intention of what I have said...so just let the issue die...I know I have
