We are all free moral agents, and we can choose for ourselves how we want to live our lives. Some people don’t put any thought into this, and their lives end up being unfocused and unfulfilled. Others try to make their own decisions using what they learned from the world as a guideline, but they consistently make the wrong choices. God gave us the gift of life, and living it the way He intends for us to will keep us going in the right direction.

It’s impossible to live life as a gift from God without studying His Word, to learn the specifics of how to conduct ourselves in thought and deed. What’s revealed in the Scriptures directly contradicts any negative or pessimistic messages we may hear around us. God loves us and He wants the best for us. ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT). This is something to keep in mind when we go through tough times.

When we choose to agree with what God says, we align ourselves to receive the good things in life He wants to give those who believe His Word. Our attitude says a lot about us, and it’s up to us to be as happy and content as we want to be. The realization that it’s okay to enjoy life strengthens us and gives us a supernatural type of joy. “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Joy doesn’t come from any external source, it comes from inside. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and He comes to live in us, joy is inevitable. This is because true peace and joy come from what we know is true. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Being cheerful isn’t the way the world responds to adversity, but when we have Jesus to guide and direct us, we have a tremendous advantage.

Most of us have heard the phrase, “stuff happens,” and it’s true that sometimes we face unexpected setbacks or challenges. We can’t control what other people do, but we can control how we process it, mentally. We can decide to let life’s junk derail us, or we can decide to depend on God to help us rise above it. The second alternative enhances the quality of our lives. “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT).

Learning to think differently is one of the benefits of studying and meditating on the Scriptures. Once we allow the Word to sink down deep inside us, we’ll begin to focus on the positive and ignore the negative. “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). An attitude like this empowers us and sets us apart from others.