Happy Days

You are free to feel

The true Christian ideal is not to be happy but to be holy.

A. W. Tozer

- Something we all want - To be happy

- STORY - Dolly wood - Happy place - not this past week

Hell week

Shut down dolly wood

Standing in lines

heat

Being happy all the time isnt possible

IGNORE

Tons of emotions we will look at…

We try to ignore the bad one (Sad, anger, anxious, stress) hoping they go away

No matter how hard we try to ignore our emotions, eventually, they will show up.

BUT - Culture of Happiness

Youre wrong or different if you feel anything other

• My emotions don’t matter.

• I just need to get over it.

• It’s no big deal.

• I’m just not an emotional person.

• I should just ignore it.

TRUTH - Life is full of feelings, and not one of them is a personal failure, its the way God made us.

So how do we navigate complex feelings?

Sermon on the mount

Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Happy - At peace

God doesn’t promise us happiness like we think of happiness.

Jesus doesnt promise happiness, instead he affirms bad feelings

This pathway isn’t about ignoring our difficult emotions but moving through them, knowing that God is with us always.

David - Leader, King, Giant slayer, Man after God’s own heart talks about his complex feelings:

Psalm 30 “A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David. I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.” You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me wi…”

Joy sorrow grief, he felt it all, likely many others

You are allowed to experience that too. You are free to feel.

All of the feelings are natural. You are free to feel

INTERACTIVE - FEELINGS WHEEL

Throughout our life we feel all these emotions

Core 4 - Pick one, thank God for it.

Secondary - Pick one you currently feel, thank God for it.

Tertiary.

David praised God in his joy and cried out to God in his despair.

He didn’t hide his feelings or pretend they didn’t exist.

Instead, he brought them to God, trusting that God would understand and help him through them.

Honesty with God.

David’s example also shows us that our emotions are temporary.

No matter what emotions we feel, know that God is there with you.

God can handle your emotions—the joy and the sorrow, the happiness and sadness.

APPLY

Feel where you are - Notice your emotions and what your body is telling you.

Feel what you feel - You don’t have to fix it or change it. Just recognize it and allow yourself to feel it. It may help to acknowledge your emotions by talking to a trusted adult or a friend or journaling how you’re feeling.

Be here for it - Process Healthy - GOSPEL PRESENTATION

CLOSE

By embracing our emotions, we can live more complete, authentic lives. We can connect more deeply with others and with God. We can find comfort in knowing that our feelings are valid and that we are not alone in them.

How often do you pay attention to the way you’re feeling?