I Determine My Happiness
Acts 26:2
I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
As Paul stood before King Agrippa, I am sure that Agrippa thought Paul was miserable. Agrippa looked at Paul as a prisoner who was probably unhappy because that was what he was used to seeing with prisoners. However, Paul was quick to point out that he was happy by saying, I think myself happy. In this one little phrase, there are three critical principles that every believer needs to learn about how Paul determined his happiness, and how you can determine yours.
First, you don’t determine my happiness. Paul was very quick to address King Agrippa about his happiness because he wanted him to understand that no matter what he did, he could not take away his happiness. The first step to being a happy person is never to allow others to determine your happiness. People may be able to make you uncomfortable, but that does not mean that you cannot be happy. People may try to frustrate you, but that does not mean that you cannot be happy. When you allow people to determine your happiness, your happiness will be held captive by others. The day that you determine that people will not dictate your happiness is the day that you determine your own happiness.
Second, my situation does not determine my happiness. Paul was also saying that just because he was a prisoner did not mean that he was not happy. Certainly King Agrippa had seen many people stand before him in chains, grumbling about their situation, but not the apostle Paul. If you allow situations in life to determine your happiness, you will always be an unhappy person. Happiness should never be determined by the situations in life. If happiness is determined by situations, then health will take away our happiness. If happiness is determined by situations, then the house we live in will determine our happiness. Things will never make you happy because things will always get old, and there will always be something newer, and that will make you unhappy. When you allow things and situations to determine your happiness is the day that you will be a very unhappy person. You can be poor and still be happy. You can live in a small house and still be happy. You can drive a clunker and still be happy. You can be in poor health and still be happy. Happiness should never be determined by situations of life because once situations determine your happiness, you will always be an unhappy person.
Third, I think I am happy; therefore, I am happy. The key to Paul's happiness was that he thought he was happy no matter what came his way. In other words, Paul allowed his mind to determine his happiness. Paul dwelt on what he had on the inside, and that is why he was happy. My friend, you can be happy if you think yourself happy. I'm the one who is to determine my happiness, and I do so by using my mind to think myself to happiness.
The key to this whole thing is protecting my mind. If I do not allow others to influence my mind, and if I am the one who thinks myself to happiness, then I can be happy no matter what comes my way in life. Stop allowing others, things, and situations to dictate your happiness, and get yourself to the point that you think yourself to happiness, and what you will find is that you can be the happiest person in the world, no matter what happens to you, and no matter what your condition of life may be.
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