Happiness Comes from Within, Not from Things

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
List 30 things that make you happy.
View all responses

Happiness comes from within. It can’t be found merely in things or circumstances. True happiness has a spiritual component.

Keeping in mind that God the Holy Spirit won’t contradict what He has revealed throughout the Scriptures, (Matthew 22:29) it’s never inappropriate to obey the leading of God the Holy Spirit. It’s inappropriate to let the fear of what people think cause you to quench the inner promptings of the Spirit. Jesus beckons many to give their all to follow Him, but few accept His call. (Matthew 22:14)

Christianity’s about having a never-ending life-changing experience with Jesus. Refuse to settle for less. (Philippians 3:10) A spiritual awakening happens when Christians reduce the amount of their ignoring and quenching the Holy Spirit.

It’s not enough to make Jesus your coach or your copilot. He wants to be your mission control. (Philippians 2:9-11) To overcome the frustrated floundering of our desire-driven, feeling-focused, opinion-obsessed self-direction we need to let the living Jesus be our constant mission control. (Luke 9:23) If the risen Jesus isn’t your command and control, you’re a spacecraft out of control. (Isaiah 53:6)

Christianity is like space flight. To be successful astronauts must surrender their feelings, desires, and opinions to mission control. You can’t live for Jesus if you’re unwilling to allow Him to command and control your daily life as your living Lord and Master. (John 20:28) True discipleship is to live your life under Christ’s command and control. (Luke 14:27)

You’ll never be whole till Christ is your mission control. (John 15:5) If Jesus isn’t your mission control, you’ve got a problem. You’re quenching God the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30) Learn to hear Jesus in your thoughts. (John 10:27) Let Him lead you from within. (Romans 8:14)

The world needs more people who are eternally energized and empowered by the risen Jesus Christ. Will you be one? (Colossians 1:27) Gene Kranz, legendary NASA Flight Director, said: “Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect.” Christians also should settle for nothing less than total commitment to persistently follow and obey the risen Christ.

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A Marvelous Habit

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Describe one habit that brings you joy.
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I have a habit that fills me with peace, contentment, and joy. It’s a simple habit — a habit of mental and emotional focus. I try to notice nature throughout each day — the trees, bushes, flowers, birds, animals, and even the insects that I come across. I ponder their magnificence and let them make me aware of the reality, presence, and majesty of the living God.

That marvelous habit fills me with an intense awe, reverence, and adoration of God (that some Bibles translate as the “fear of God”) that comes from an intimate, ongoing awareness of His presence and glory. It empowers me to live in Christ’s presence and walk day by day in the freedom (2 Corinthians 5:17) of being led by God the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14)

You can regularly listen to sermons about the glory of God and all the while be overlooking it or ignoring it. You can read and even study what the Bible says about Jesus while you are overlooking or ignoring Him and are completely unaware of His present-day reality and glory. Try not to do that. Unfortunately, it’s much more common for us humans to ignore the glory of God (Romans 1:22-22) than it is for us to experience it (1 Corinthians 2:10) and regularly partake of it. (2 Peter 1:4)

The glory of God isn’t far away from those who make the risen Jesus welcome in their heart and continually surrender their life to the Him — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) John, one of Christ’s original 12 disciples said this about Jesus: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

The glory of God isn’t hard to see. Look up at the sky. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1) This world that God has created makes His existence obvious. (Romans 1:19-20) Let’s use some logic. Since nothing comes from nothing it’s plain to see that Someone or something started the process that made the nature that surrounds us.

Look at nature and absorb its beauty with a humble open heart and you will see that the whole earth is full of God’s glory. (Isaiah 6:3) If you focus your attention on and stay aware of the glory of God, it will change your heart and your lifestyle (2 Corinthians 3:18) and you won’t be able to stop talking about it. (Acts 4:20) “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.” (1 Chronicles 16: 33-35)

If God has shined in your heart, He did it to make you aware of His glory “in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) Now He invites you to look unto Jesus, (Hebrews 12:2) and to “Behold the Lamb of God.” (John 1:29) Jesus Christ is the radiance and the brightness of God’s glory. (Hebrews 1:3)

Moses asked God, “Show me Your glory,” and it changed the world. (Exodus 33:18-19) Are you courageous enough to do the same? If the Ten Commandments came with such glory, “the ministry of the Spirit” is even more glorious. “If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!” (1 Corinthians 3:7-18)

Don’t lose your marvels! When people lose sight of their marvels (the things that cause them to marvel at being alive) life becomes boring and routine.

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Curiosity Needs Wise Caution

Posted on August 2, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What are you curious about?
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Before you allow your curiosity to nudge you to pursue something, it’s best to use mental caution. Innocent curiosity if not monitored and guided by wisdom can lead down dangerous paths. A person (or a cat) who is overly curious about the wires in an electric box can die with a sudden shock. How often we allow curiosity to lead us into anxiety, trouble, pain, addiction, and other dangerous traps of evil.

I strive to keep my curiosity focused on things that are good, wholesome, helpful, and filled with life-enhancing excitement. I use mental caution to protect myself from the mentally, emotionally, and physically dangerous, “cat killing” types of curiosity. (After all, “Curiosity killed the cat.” What has curiosity killed in you?)

When I begin to be curious about something I ask myself, “Is pursuing this going to help me, distract me, or harm me (or other people)?” I intentionally resist and avoid harmful (and even distracting) curiosity by forcefully and consistently keeping it out of my mind. I persistently and passionately pursue curiosity that will help make my life better, more peaceful, and more content.

Curiosity unmonitored and uncontrolled by wisdom is very dangerous. Curiosity causes many people to fill their mind with nonsense and even worse — to fill it with harmful thoughts, words, and images. Curiosity continually encourages people to ignore (and even to arrogantly deny the existence of) warning signs.

Unchecked curiosity wants to know too many things that aren’t worth knowing. Set your curiosity on the things that have great value and meaning in your life.

There is always something good to be discovered. Why waste your curiosity on what’s purposeless, wrongful, or ruinous? People seem to have relatively little curiosity about the purpose and meaning of life? How about you?

Curiosity can be good or bad. It all depends on how you use it. Choose your curiosity wisely. Focus on what is wonderful not on what is wicked.

Curiosity about Jesus has kept me pursuing Him. I stay inwardly driven to purse the presence of Christ through the Bible, through prayer, through brokenness, through repentance, through kindness, through radical honesty with myself, through humility, through faith, and through the direct nudgings and revelations of God the Holy Spirit within my innermost being. (John 9:37-39)

Every single moment that’s a continuation of your life is a miracle. Most of those miracles pass by unnoticed and unappreciated. Now that’s something to be curious about!

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Sometimes Ya Just Gotta Say It (Speaking the Truth In Love)

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone.
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There’s something deep inside of me that compels me to speak what I profoundly believe to be the truth, with humility and kindness, even when people are offended by my point of view. The truth that I believe with all my heart radically changed my life many years ago and rescued me from self-destruction and misery. I have never been the same. I try to spread that truth like randomly sowing seeds as an act of kindness. The Bible calls it, “speaking the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15)

Meditate on Christ the living Word. Don’t just listen to a lecture about Him or merely study and analyze Him. Humbly savor, absorb, and obey His presence. Keep your attention steadfastly focused on His glorious present-day reality until you can no longer stay quiet about Him.

People talk about what they’re interested in. Few talk about Jesus. If you’re uncomfortable with people talking about Jesus, Heaven will be outside of your comfort zone.

If you don’t have much to say about Jesus, perhaps you’ve never met Him. A woman who met Him at a well went and told her whole town about Jesus. (John 4:28-29) When two of Christ’s disciples were told to keep quiet about Him, they said this: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) An angel told them to “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new life.” (Acts 5:20)

If you are someone who has personally encountered the risen Jesus, you need to be testifying about Him. (Acts 10:39-43) If you have been given the spiritual insight of God’s direct revelation to your heart, (2 Corinthians 4:6-7) then say with the sightless man who Jesus healed, “I was blind but now I see.” (John 9:25) Your testimony about the living Jesus will help you overcome the devil in your life (Revelation 12:11) the way it did for the early Christ-followers.

Jesus Himself said: “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:45) Let “Christ in you” fill your heart and freely overflow from your innermost being as God the Holy Spirt. (John 7:38-39) Then you will find yourself spontaneously witnessing about Jesus. (Acts 1:8) “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” (Psalm 107:2) Jesus said to “speak in the daylight” and to “proclaim from the roofs.” (Matthew 10:26-27)

Jesus wants all His disciples to share the good news about Him in all the world (Mark 16:15) and to teach other people the things that He has taught them. (Matthew 18:20) The Lord spoke to Paul and said: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” (Acts 18:9) Ask God to fully open your eyes so that you can truly “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)

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I’m a Light Seeker

Posted on July 31, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
How would you describe yourself to someone who can’t see you?
View all responses

I like light. I always have. Some people like dark places, but not me. I like to be able to see my surroundings and enjoy the beauty around me — in nature, in art, in smiles, in acts of kindness and in so many other places and ways.

To be in Christ is to have your heart, your actions, and your lips caught in and swept along by the current and light of the Holy Spirit. (John 7:38-39) To be in Christ is to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) by seeking to live continually in sync with Christ the King. (2 Corinthians 5:17) That requires being led by God the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14) instead of by your thoughts, feelings, desires, and opinions. (Mark 8:34)

To be in Christ is to stay in sync with Christ by living on God’s “lampstand” and letting the light of “Christ in you” — the fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1) of walking “by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) — freely and brightly shine wherever you go.

God doesn’t shine His light inside of you (2 Corinthians 4:6) so you can hide it as a passive member of a religious organization and a spectator for a Sunday morning service. Jesus put it this way: “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” (Luke 8:16)

Mental concepts about Christ should never replace heart-to-heart community with Jesus. God is working in, thru, and around people but religion trains them to quietly sit by and overlook or hide what He is doing and has done in and thru them. (Matthew 5:15)

I believe that when Christians gather (Hebrews 10:25) as the body of Christ that we all need to be in sync with Christ by listening to and aligning with God the Holy Spirit and then each one saying and doing whatever He tells us to. (1 Corinthians 14:26) That way we can “encourage one another,” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) “serve one another,” (Galatians 5:13) “confess” our sins to one another, (James 5:16) “bear one another’s burdens,” (Galatians 6:2) and obey the rest of the 50+ “one another” commands in the New Testament.

Speaking the Word is a powerful tool. Some Christians like to quote preachers, but it’s much more effective to quote the Bible. (Joshua 1:8) Read the Bible aloud. When a verse burns in your heart, quote it to other people throughout the day. Ask God the Holy Spirit to remind you of Scriptures. (John 14:26) When He does, find people to quote those Spirit-prompted Bible verses to. Then those Scriptures will bless them as much as they are blessing you and soon you will find yourself not only speaking the word but doing it. (James 1:22)

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Traditions Can Be Traps

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What traditions have you not kept that your parents had?
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Exchange your self-focus and religion for a Spirit-led relationship with Christ. Powerful results come from ongoing obedient surrender to God the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8 and Galatians 5:22-23) Weak results come from religious self-effort.

The Bible is God’s lens. It will focus your attention on the risen Jesus if you read it with an open humble heart, talk about it, and ponder it day and night. (Joshua 1:8) In the Bible Christianity is presented as a Spirit-led lifestyle. (Romans 8:14) Christians are called followers of the Way. (Acts 9:2)

Jesus is the Way. (John 14:6) To seek the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) fight to make your every thought obey King Jesus. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Forcefully expel from your mind every thought that’s disobedient to Christ.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory,” (Colossians 1:27) (God the Holy Spirit) can’t be trapped by religious tradition. He can’t be captured by, contained by, or controlled by any organization. For genuine spiritual growth, it’s essential that you quit trying to do things your way. (Luke 9:23) Instead learn to personally listen to and obey “Christ in you” and follow His Way throughout each day.

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A Typical Day in Western Culture

Posted on July 29, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Was today typical?
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Western culture has been body slammed by an obsessive focus on the body while abandoning the whole concept of caring for the soul. Physical appearance is presented as more important than inner healing; an alcohol induced buzz as more relaxing than genuine peace of mind; bodily comfort as better than character; quick sexual relief as more fulfilling than life-long commitment; entertainment as greater than inspiration, church attendance as more important than true repentance; tattoos on the body as more descriptive of a person than what is written on the heart; earthly possessions and financial security as more essential than being led by Christ’s presence. (Does that sound like your typical day?)

The truth is, we won’t ever be whole until we experience the restoration of our soul. If we would focus on our soul instead of on physical appearance, our concept of success would be radically different. “Work out your salvation with fear (reverence and awe) and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

“Be strong and courageous.” (Joshua 1:6) We’re surrounded by a famine of soul strength and soul courage.

Escape the riptide
Of the soul-hide ride
That wraps you with pride
Until you’re hog-tied
And wholly blind-eyed
To eternal hope.

When you push away
God the Holy Spirit
You will surely stray.
(1 Thessalonians 5:19)

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I Would Describe Myself by My Heart

Posted on July 28, 2025 by Steve Simms

The big picture of who you are isn’t the way you appear to people. It’s where you really are. Where is your heart?

Is your heart fully surrendered to God the Holy Spirit, partly surrendered to Him, or far from Him. (Matthew 15:8) How can you tell? The way you live your life shows what’s in your heart. (Proverbs 27:19) Whatever you treasure, whatever you allow yourself to be a fan of, has control over your heart. (Matthew 6:21) Is it God? Or is it other things or other people?

The big picture is, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) The promised land that Christians need to take isn’t a physical place or a particular country. It’s our own heart. We need to seek first to establish the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) within our own heart by cultivating “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

To take the inner promised land learn the Bible with your heart, not just with your mind. Notice what God the Holy Spirit is doing in your heart and fully surrender to His workings and promptings. (Romans 8:14)

Continually command your heart to listen to and submit to God. (Proverbs 4:23) Don’t let it deceive you. (Jeremiah 17:9) Train your heart to hear and obey God the Holy Spirit so it can gain wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Refuse to let thoughts of pride, evil, fear, anger, hatred, bitterness, lust, envy, greed, or accusation poison your heart. Pride darkens and hardens the heart and makes it far from God. (Mt 15:8) Humility brings it God’s light and life. (James 4:6)

Download unending updates of divine love and faithfulness to God, on the tablet of your heart. Then you will live a blessed life. (Proverbs 3:3-4)

God wants to heal your broken heart and bind up your wounds. (Psalm 147:3) He wants you to seek Him with your whole heart, not with just a part of it. (Jeremiah 29:13) Ceaselessly surrender to God the Holy Spirit to allow Him to create a pure heart in you (Psalm 51:10) and give you a new heart. (Ezekiel 36:26) A pure heart will see God. (Matthew 5:8)

To be truly smart
It’s vital you start
To learn with your heart.
Life is much more than
Info on a chart.
Let your heart be part
Of the way you learn
So it won’t be hard
And shut down toward God.
Then you can discern
The path to wisdom.
(Matthew 22:37)

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I Want to Bring Back the Dinosaur of Early Christian Enemy-Love

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
If you could bring back one dinosaur, which one would it be?
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The early Christians radically loved and forgave their enemies. That’s a dinosaur that needs to be brought back into our hate-filled world.

To love your enemies, as Jesus commands, (Matthew 5:44) you must embrace a deeper reality. To “bless those that curse you,” and “pray for those who mistreat you,” (Luke 6:28) you must rely on Christ and “lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) To “do good to those who hate you,” (Luke 6:27) take a first step by praying for them.

Dare to demonstrate true discipleship by blessing an enemy at this very moment. Think of someone who has done or is doing you wrong. Now ask God to bless that person. You probably don’t feel like doing that but do it anyway as an act of obedience and discipleship. Then every time that person comes to your mind ask God to bless him or her. Say: “Lord, I ask You to bless (name the person). Bless his health. Bless his finances. Bless his family. (And on and on) Help him get to know You in a deep personal way. In Jesus, name. Amen.”

Consistently praying for an enemy will powerfully set you free from the pain, anger, and resentment that are attacking you. I do it every time I feel wronged or mistreated and it flushes my heart of the ugly bitterness that tries to take me over.

Yesterday I found a quote about praying for your enemies. When I woke up this morning that quotation was on my mind. Here it is:

“If you would retain prayer you must love those who offend against you and pray for them until your soul is reconciled with them, and then the Lord will give you prayer without ceasing, for He gives prayer to those who pray for their enemies. The man who loves his enemies soon comes to know the Lord in the Holy Spirit. But the man who does not love his enemies is to be pitied, for he is a torment to himself and to others and does not know the Lord.” –Father Silouan

Here’s more of the thoughts that have been coming to me this morning:

If you want a better world then help people live and behave better through your influence.

If you want to be whole
Let Jesus seize your soul.
Make it your lifelong goal
To always live and stroll
As led by His Spirit.

Create Inner Peace

To appreciate
The significance
Of magnificence
And sense its wonder
You need to ponder
The beauty that you
Too often don’t see
So that you can be
Emotionally
And mentally
Free
And tormenting thoughts
Will no longer reign
Inside of your brain.
The more you’re in awe
The more the hardness
Of your heart will thaw
As closer you draw
To true inner peace.
Beholding beauty
With an open heart
Will cause you to see
A much deeper
Reality.

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I Want to Go Where I’m Amazed

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?
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I want to go where Christ takes me. I depend on Him to daily lift me up and carry me forward. As I wait (Psalm 27:14) and rely (Proverbs 3:5-6) on Him, I enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:10) and His peace. (Philippians 4:7) My inner man begins to soar and mount up with wings like eagles. (Isaiah 40:31) Christ flies me to awe, wonder, and adoration. As I praise and thank Him with all of my heart (John 4:24) He leads me by His Spirit. (Romans 8:14)

Rely on Jesus and be amazed!

I am amazed,
My mind is dazed,
My spirit raised,
When I have gazed
At Jesus Christ.

If you know
Jesus
Then show
Jesus
In the way
That you go
Through your life.

When the early Christians gathered together there was a sense of awe among them. (Acts 2:43) The Bible tells Christians to worship God with awe (sometimes translated as “the fear of God”). (Hebrews 12:28) I believe that awe is the missing ingredient among Christians today.

Awe is amazed and overcome by the reality of the risen Jesus, but heartless Christianity stays stuck in statistics, analysis, and human understanding. Let the risen Jesus deeply touch your heart and fill you with awe, wonder, and amazement. Then you, will humbly cry out to Him like His disciple Thomas did, and say with all your being, “My Lord and My God!” (John 20:28)

Where and when are you amazed and overcome by the awe of God? Why not right where you are right now? Go beyond religious analysis and ideas to the inner experience of the presence, power, and reality of the risen Jesus.

An actual physical location that I would go if I won two free plane tickets is Mount Athos. It’s a mountain and peninsula off of Greece where Orthodox monks have gazed at Jesus and worshipped with awe for more than a thousand years.

“Mount Athos is a special land, half-way between Heaven and earth. For the past 1,300 years it has been set apart from all other earthly countries and its way of life does not conform to worldly standards. It is inhabited by men who are not satisfied by all that the world has to offer; they seek something more than the material world . . . By means of patient endurance and supernatural struggles, they have found there what they were seeking, and they embrace it as a great treasure . . . On the Holy Mountain men follow a new way of life that gives a foretaste of future blessedness.” –Archimandrite Cherubim (June 1968)

“Mount Athos has a life, a culture of its own. And its apartness has enabled it to preserve that very special culture even as a more superficial, worldwide, consumer culture pervades the rest of the world.” –Basil Pennington (1978)

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