When to be happy, when to be sad

There’s some tension between what the Bible says about “rejoicing always” and “mourning with those who mourn.” So how do you and I resolve it? Do we pretend the opposing passages don’t exist, leaning one way while ignoring the other? Or is there a better answer, one that takes both sides into account?

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Serving Suggestions:

(1) Default to happiness. Be grateful for everything and don’t change your mind just because it might make you look stupid around all the non-grateful people out there.

(2) When someone comes to you with problems, feel for them. Don’t try to push happiness automatically. They don’t want a big fat smile from you when you have nothing at stake. They won’t trust it.

(3) The time to push happiness and gratefulness is when you’re hurting. That’s when people see the example and are blown away by it. Then they realize that if you can do it, so can they.