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The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life"

The Secret is not to expect happiness, but contentment.

I dunno... skimming that lady's paper "Complete Deliverance from Sin" (which won't happen until we die...)

Any time someone thinks they have the Holy Grail to living a 'happy Christian life' I think hmm... what about 2 Ti 3:16, 17 "All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

Hmm... don't see any 'happiness' there....

There are no secrets.

Have you read The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whithall Smith? It's a Christian classic. She says the secret is to understand the difference between our part and God's part. He does the work; we surrender and trust Him. It's really a very good book, though I have heard one pastor whom I think a lot of bash the book. I never really agreed with him on his point, though I was young when I heard his criticism. I'd be interested in hearing it again. Anyway, one chapter of the book is called "The Chariots of God." In it she talks about how she prayed and prayed for patience because she didn't really have much. Then she found herself with this new and EXTREMELY irritating person in her life -- a fellow Christian. She just couldn't believe it. But then she realized that that woman was the answer to her prayer. She was there to teach her patience. God's chariot to carry her to deeper understanding. What the other poster was saying about trusting God reminded me of that book a little bit.

It has been a few years since I read it. She went out of her way to explain that God expected obedience from us, but that we were to trust Him to do the work through us. We repent. We surrender. We trust. God does the rest. That's how I remember it. It may not be exact.