Three Simple Instructions

In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, “Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?”

The rabbi answers, “Take your goat into the room with you.” The man is incredulous, but the rabbi insists. “Do as I say and come back in a week.”

A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before. “We cannot stand it; the goat is filthy.”

The rabbi tells him, “Go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week.”

A radiant man returns to the rabbi a week later, exclaiming, “Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there’s no goat — only the nine of us.”

Sometimes in life, answers to problems are obvious but we fail to see them. It can become easy to be distracted by what we don’t have and totally take for granted the blessings that we already do have. Thank God that the Bible gives direction on how we can live a joy filled life, but we must read the instructions!

Philippians 5:16-18 give us three simple instructions that can help up us to live in the center of God’s will.

The first instruction is that we need to express joy. If we claim to have fellowship with God, then we need to show the joy of the Lord.

The second instruction is that we keep ourselves in constant prayer. Direct communication with God is one of our most effective tools and privileges as Christians.

The last instruction is that we learn to give thanks in all situations. We need to be thankful and live in a spirit of gratitude as a testimony of our faith in Christ Jesus.

Read, implement, and repeat if desired. Stay blessed!