“Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection.”
1 John 4:18 TPT
https://www.bible.com/1849/1jn.4.18.tpt
Life requires us to do hard things. Daily we make choices. What to wear. What to eat. What to do. Most of us get to pick from a variety of colors and styles. From a wide selection of foods. And for some the possibilites are endless on what can happen in a day. But the question I am asking today is complicated. What drives us to make our daily choices?
For some fear drives choices while others are driven my selfiness. Some are motivated by happiness while others operate from a place of no other choices. There have been times in my life where I have operated out of all of these options. I have lived in fear of what each day will bring. I have lived in seasons of ignoring texts and phone calls so I could be alone. And there have bern seasons when there was only one choice to make, keep doing the same thing over and over again.
Being motivated by happiness is a new one to me. I really don’t seem to have a good understanding of what it really entails. Webster say happiness means a state of being happy. And happy means feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. Hmmmmm. I believe the Bible says something about that!
“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”
Philippians 4:11 NLT
https://www.bible.com/116/php.4.11.nlt
How does one simply be happy? Our choices have a lot to do with this. But how do we make the right ones? I think the first step is to know who we are in Christ. We must have a revelation on how much we are loved. Secondly, we must begin to believe what God says about us is really true. And lastly we need to step out with confidence. We need to trust God with our happiness.
I have done many brave things in the last year. I went on a trip by myself. I was on a sail boat. I am trying to finish this house. I hiked. I hammocked. I quietly shut the door on my past. But most of all, I have trusted God. He is the only thing sometimes that makes sense.
Today I have choices in front of me. Red shoes or white? Clean the house or rest? Shopping or waiting until tomorrow. There lies many things in front of me to do today. I will choose happiness. I will choose contentment.
I chose the red shoes. That’s as far as I have gotten today.
Step Upon the Golden Road with Me! 
It is amazing how God turns our pain into a testimony. Encouraging others who are in pain. And this brings us happiness, knowing how much He loves us…as our pain is deep, our relationship with Him grows deeper, better, …. love the red shoes… covered by the blood of Jesus!