Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3–4 (NLT)
One of the worst questions you can ask yourself is, Am I happy? Your brain is designed to ask and answer questions. We call it thinking, and we do it all day long. Some questions are good to ask. These questions are bound to have positive answers—questions like, How much does God love me? and What are the things l like about my job? Other questions lead you down a thought path you don’t want to take.
Asking yourself if you’re happy usually leads to a negative train of thought. Your brain will instantly begin to list all of the reasons why you’re not happy—your marriage isn’t perfect, you need a newer car, your house is disorganized, you don’t make enough money, and the list goes on.
Questions like these cause a self-focused line of thinking. They keep things all about you, which drives all the joy out of your life because self is never satisfied. There’s never enough money, fame, comfort, approval or pleasure for self.
Don’t allow selfishness to steal your joy. Instead, find better quality questions to ask yourself–questions that lead you to be grateful and to think of others. Ask, Who can I help today? and Who can I pray for?
If you start down a negative train of thought, switch your focus to helping others. When you do good and share with those in need, God calls it a sacrifice that pleases Him (Hebrews 13:16, NLT). After all, one of the greatest joys in life is helping others!