Most of you remember the KINGSTON TRIO, the famous singing group from the 1960s/70s. Actually, they are still around and going strong. You can find their tour schedule at www.kingstontrio.com.  I remember one of their earliest songs; called The Merry Minuet. It expressed how unhappy some people are about…pretty much everything. Here is the first verse:

"They're rioting in Africa…They're starving in Spain…There's hurricanes in Florida…And Texas needs rain. The whole world is festering with unhappy souls, the French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles; Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch…And I don't like anybody very much."

While it was a funny song at the time, I have discovered, through years of Pastoral counseling, that it is often true. Discontent seems to be everywhere. Marriage partners will want to hold their spouse to a higher standard of conduct than they hold themselves. Parents are disappointed when their children aren’t perfect, when they, themselves, had an imperfect childhood. The world of advertising has done a sadly-good job of convincing their audience that they are somehow ugly or dumb or deprived if they don’t have the latest/newest whatever.

Right now, in our country, there is a lot of political and racial dissatisfaction. And, where there may be groups of satisfied people, the news media does its best to tell them how dumb they are for not being out protesting about something. If you want to view some current dissatisfaction just watch the news or log onto Facebook, twitter, Instagram, or any other social media outlet and you will get more that you want. It’s a great way to ruin your whole day! I know people who stay in a state of relative discontent because they fill their day/lives with negative inputs. People just can’t seem to get happy. (As a side note, this atmosphere has spurred my resolve to pursue a previous Book Idea: HOW TO BE HAPPY – GUARNTEED. Look for it later this year.)

If anyone had a right to be unhappy, it was the Apostle Paul. If you read the New Testament books he wrote, you will see that in most towns he visited and preached, he was stoned, beaten, yelled at, imprisoned, run out of town and he almost died in a shipwreck. He was usually in need of lodging, clothing, food, and money to sustain him. Yet, while he was imprisoned in Rome, he wrote in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: I have learned that, in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content.”

Why? Why would Paul be happy, considering his situation? I think it had to do with his attitude. Paul had two things that few people on facebook have… purpose and focus. Look at the perspective he had a few verses earlier…verse 8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Earl Nightingale, a famous business trainer from the 1940s/50s, built a whole training system around the idea: “You will become, what you think about.” He entitled it, “The world’s greatest secret.”

So, all things considered, if you want to be content (happy) you just must decide to be content. It has very little to do with location or circumstances…it’s a decision. Let’s be honest here: it won’t be too many years before most of us will be on the root-side of the grass. The way I see it, we don’t have the time to be unhappy. Besides, happiness is medically good for you. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” If you are harboring a few dry bones…GET HAPPY!

Have a blessed 2017!

Max Holt, Class 02-67
Association Chaplain