Sunday, March 08, 2015

The Importance of A Cheerful Heart


Learn to overcome discouragement by replacing pessimistic thoughts with optimistic ones. Do not allow the critics to get too much inside of your mind and do not replay their remarks or mull over them. The best way to overcome those who are against you is to do more of what is good, kind and lovely. 


Actions speak loudly of what is on your mind. If you are content at home and are minding your own business, others know you have a cheerful heart. For some reason, there are people who want to boss homemakers and make them miserable. They may be jealous because they see you enjoying your role in the home.  They reason that life should be hard and grueling and miserable for you, and that you should not enjoy yourself as you work. They don't want you to sit by the fire or stop for tea, read a book, talk with friends, enjoy listening to music, go shopping, bake bread, rearrange your furniture, arrange flowers, or anything of any comfort.  

It is so important not to allow anyone to control your thinking, and it is also important that a homemaker not feel a bit guilty for loving her home and loving her life with her family and enjoying every minute of it. Do not let the naysayer control your routine, how you live;  even where you live.  You are not doing anything wrong; there are always going to be people who are intent on spoiling life for others. When you get in the habit of feeling defeated, it can become a pattern for your entire life. Do not inflict guilt and misery upon yourself for doing what is good and right just because someone made a caustic remark.

Remember to be alert and aware of how others who do not have the same values, are leading and controlling the way you live.

Sometimes in an effort to assure people that we do not have it "too good" we can resort to saying things like, "Yes, I am a homemaker, but it is such hard work!"  We become too self conscious and are afraid we will be taunting or showing off the good life in front of those who might be envious.  We do not want others to think we are too happy, as it might make them feel bad!  Do not give in to this type of thinking. You can confidently say you are home and loving all he different aspects of caring for the family and the house, as well as all the different interests you are exploring.

Life is too precious to allow other people to destroy your happiness and your contentment. Do something happy today, at home. Make a list of everything you must do, and another list of everything you would like to do, and try to do one of each.  Your want-to-do list can include rest and whatever puts your heart at ease. This is puts restorative things into your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state. Feed good and creative nutrients (with rest and re-creation) back into yourself to replace the energy you have used.  

Remember the Proverb:  "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."

When a Christian has a gloomy outlook on life, it is not effective evangelism, (unless it attracts those who are sour on life---what a congregation that would be!)  is a poor testimony of his beliefs, and tells others that he must not have a very good Heavenly Father, and ruins his influence. In spite of troubles, it is good for your body and soul to be cheerful because it restores your health. You can only take so much despair and it will effect your over-all health, so be sure to feed on the Word, pray for all your needs, and do not let other's gloom effect you.

Proverbs 17:22  merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.


So, remember how the cheerful heart prevents illness and emotional meltdown!





21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I so love your teachings dear Lydia. I come to visit daily.
You are a special friend and I just wish I lived nearby so I could visit occasionally and have tea and fellowship. You are like a shining light set on a hill, we need encouragement like yours today.
Your friend,
Shirley

Candice said...

Thank you so much for this post Lydia! Very Empowering! It is well with my soul.

Lydia said...

Shirley I think that is why there is an increasing number of homemakers on blogs. We are so far apart from each other and it lets us see others like us.

me said...

Thank you so much for all your lovely words of wisdom. I too come here daily and appreciate very much your blog.

Julie said...

Wonderful sentiments. I do think homemakers must be some of the strongest people to be able to put up with so much negativity. I had an experience with a person at church who recognized our happiness and contentment. They said since we were enjoying life so much we must not be suffering enough. We came home and had such a laugh! Then we promptly switched to a different congregation. Keep up the good work Lydia!

Rachel said...

Dear Lady Lydia,
How inspiring, how refreshing to spend some time with you every day! Today I made the mistake of watching the news for a while. It is the International Day of Working Women, as they like to call themselves, and I saw one report after another of shouting angry women in the streets, terribly dressed, crying for equality and the right to kill their own babies. It really left my soul in a state of sorrow and pity for them all and for their children and partners (they don´t usually have husbands). Has the world gone mad? Where has all the beauty and quietness and soft femininity gone? And then I found they´re all hiding in your blog, a sweet lovely and so needed place for peace and godliness. God bless you.

Christine said...

I have read this post and reread it several times. Love it!

Alex said...

Oh, such a pertinent post for home~makers! Those 'conversations' with the negative opposers, we have all had them; thank you for encouraging us to be glad of what we do and not be deflated by those who work and resent it.

Lydia said...

Oh Marrilka, you solved the mystery :-)

Gail said...

I also appreciate this post, and all your others, but also wanted to say that I love to read the comments, as well. It is part of the wisdom and camaraderie from which I glean so much. I think in general, that there are those who will not like a person who is too happy and who seems to be enjoying life. I think it's just jealousy, but often that person (and I am talking about women) who is jealous can be won over if you show friendliness and interest in her. In as far as it is in our power, we are to get along with people. However, I do know that there are those whom you can love in Christ, but from a necessary distance.

Linda said...

Reading your blog gives me such a lift. I so appreciate the time and effort you put in this blog.
Thank-you,
Linda

larissa said...

This is a very powerful post. Thank you for making it ok to acknowledge the pleasure homemaking brings. It's important to emphasise the recreation and rest and pleasure of homemaking. Task-centricity is ...secondary to the spirit in which a task is done... Recreation, the inward refinement and quieting of the inner person, influences the spirit in which a home is cultivated.. Thanks Lydia, i am so happy there're so many articles over this weekend to read and think about..

Marietta said...

What I love about homemaking is that it allows time in our schedule to help those in need. Our homes can always be open to others. Our homes become places of blessings to others and ourselves. We can cook meals for those who need them. So thankful for all these opportunities.

SharonR said...

Thank you Lydia. I SO needed this! I'm afraid I have a very melancholy outlook most of the time, and I need to be more cheerful.

Amy B said...

Just what I needed to hear. Only it is those within rather than without that batter my spirit today. But, I'm off to meditate on the Word and change my thinking.

Finding Joy said...

A cheerful and joyful heart is SO important and we must encourage and support those who struggle in this areas as it can be very difficult at times.

ChristyH said...

I needed to read this today. My extended family is stealing our joy. Negativity from outsiders I can just brush off, from family not so much. I am printing for continued encouragement.

As an amusing side note, I want to share something a relative told my husband and I. A home health aide woman taking care of a relative of mine was sharing her life with my other relatives. So my relative then tells us how wonderful this woman is to work 16 hours a day and her husband is in a band. My husband gets home from hearing this and tells me, he is quitting work to join a band and I need to work 16 hours a day.. He is completely astonished that my relatives would think this is a good lifestyle.

Lydia said...

A very wry saying! My husband longs to travel more and I always offer to get another job so he can visit the Holy Land!

This happens in ministry also. Men want to have music ministries and they insist their wives go out to work and financially support the ministry or pay the living because ministry does not bring in enough or any money. We must be wary of anything that claims to be "of God" when it requires woman to go against their love of being home and their desire to follow Titus 2', 1 Timithy 5:14 and other scriptures. Men cannot use Ephesians 15 to use against the wife to make things convenient for the man and inconvenient for the woman. Everyone should be in harmony. Obeying God in one thing will not cause disobedience in another. It should all work together.

Lydia said...

That wS a typing error..I did not mean to insert the number 15 next to Ephesians.

Lydia said...

Marilla,

I was lectured often on the "partner" thing. People feel obligated to tell me, even though I do not say anything, about partners. In the New Testament we observe there was a wedding, but the partner business requires no wedding. It will be harder to tell how often a person has "partnered" before they meet another person. There wont be any record of marriage or divorce.

Rachel said...

Dear Lady Lydia,
This “partners” thing is getting worse every day. I´m afraid nobody will get married in just a few decades. And then they answer why they should, if two out of three marriages end in divorce. In my son´s class, who is ten years old, I can count the children´s parents who are still married with the fingers in one of my hands. It doesn´t make any difference, I hear often, marrying or not marrying. Well, it does make all the difference in the world, promising or not promising something! (and keeping your word afterwards).
One of these modern men I know usually refers to his girl as “my wife”, when everybody knows she´s not and probably will never be. But, as the wise people of old said, why buying the cow if you can have free milk at any time?