Happy New Minds: Minimizing pain and maximizing pleasure
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."- Philippians 4:8
As 2024 begins, we all want a better and happier life than the past few years. We look forward to a new beginning, hoping that things will change for the better. However, nothing will ever change until we renew our minds.
As Christians, we know that struggles are part of the process, but our mindset makes them heavier. We may be experiencing pain and suffering because of the way we think.
Happiness does not rely on anybody or anything. Not all who are rich and famous are happy. It is a choice we have to make every day.
Thus, we will never have a happy new year unless we choose to make our year happy. So, it all starts with the mind.
The Bible says we must consider whatever is true, noble, correct, and pure. If we choose to listen to all the lies of satan to deceive us, then we will end up with negativity and loneliness.
Remember that the enemy aims to steal our joy and destroy ourselves through his lies. So, we must be alert and have self-control to choose what is excellent or praiseworthy.
You can do that once you learn to minimize your pain. It means protecting your peace over proving your rights or your point. For instance, avoiding fighting with your spouse over simple things is much better than making everything a big deal.
I heard a pastor preach about changing the mindset if we cannot change things. The more we force things or people to change, the more we get hurt and disappointed. So, it is better to change how we think about our situation or the people so we can enjoy our life.
Read More: Why is a positive mindset crucial in Christian living?
More so, we can minimize our worries when preparing for the future. When we save even a little now, we could have something to use in an emergency. Most parents like me get anxious about our children’s future, and we are afraid that we might not send them to a good university for college.
However, the Bible teaches us to save and invest our money to lessen our worries and to be happy.
Always remember that our days are numbered. Our time and energy are consumable but non-renewable. It means that we should not spend too much time seizing and creating pain but instead use our time and strength to do whatever makes us happy.
It is more of choosing what is pure, right, and lovely than entertaining all the pain this world could give. Choose to love and forgive instead of keeping resentment to your loved ones or other people.
Choose to rejoice and always focus on the bright side amidst our struggles. How can we do that? It is through the power of the Holy Spirit. He gives us the power to produce the good fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
These are the things we need to lessen our pain and maximize the pleasure that is God’s design for all of us.
