In his book Living Life on Purpose, Greg Anderson shares the story of one man’s journey to joy: ... his wife had left him, and he was completely depressed. He had lost faith in himself, in other people, in Godâ€"he found no joy in living.

One rainy morning this man went to a small neighborhood restaurant for breakfast. Although several people were at the diner, no one was speaking to anyone else. Our miserable friend hunched over the counter, stirring his coffee with a spoon. In one of the small booths along the window was a young mother with a little girl. They had just been served their food when the little girl broke the sad silence by almost shouting, "Momma, why don’t we say our prayers here?" The waitress who had just served their breakfast turned around and said, "Sure, honey, we pray here. Will you say the prayer for us?" And she turned and looked at the rest of the people in the restaurant and said, "Bow your heads."

Surprisingly, one by one, the heads went down. The little girl then bowed her head, folded her hands, and said, "God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food. Amen." That prayer changed the entire atmosphere. People began to talk with one another. The waitress said, "We should do that every morning." "All of a sudden," said our friend, "my whole frame of mind started to improve. From that little girl’s example, I started to thank God for all that I did have and stop majoring in all that I didn’t have. I started to choose happiness."²

I have personally experienced the difference it makes when you start your day off with Christ. Spending even 10 minutes reading a verse and in prayer can change your mood and set the tone for your day. And when the day starts getting stressful, which can sometimes happen with our busy schedules, I listen to worship music and sing along! When we put God first in our lives, we are acknowledging that he is greater than any problem, any worry, any stressor, any decision, and any life event. By putting Him first, we are also accepting the fact that we are not in control… HE IS! God will provide all of our needs when we seek Him first and live righteously. Let us stop excessively thinking of our to-do list, spend some time with our Father, and experience true happiness which only he can give.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, it is easy to prioritize our days based on our schedules. Help me realize that it is not about me, but all about you! I choose to put you first, trusting that you go before me, and you are in control. I choose to experience true happiness by counting my blessings and abiding in You. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1. Matthew 6:33 (NLT).

2. www.sermoncentral.com