When you buy your kid a Happy Meal, you’re not just buying fries, McNuggets, and a toy; you’re buying happiness. Their advertisements have convinced my children they have a little McDonald-shaped vacuum in their souls: “Our hearts are restless till they find their rest in a Happy Meal.”

The problem with the Happy Meal is that the happy wears off, and they need a new fix. No child discovers lasting happiness in just one: “Remember that Happy Meal? What great joy I found there!”

Happy Meals bring happiness only to McDonalds. You ever wonder why Ronald McDonald wears that grin? Twenty billion Happy Meals, that’s why. [Happy Meal Spirituality, Christianity Today, May 1993]

Ortberg finishes this idea by saying, “When you get older, you don’t get any smarter; your happy meals just get more expensive.”

What’s the last Happy Meal you bought for yourself? A car? Some clothes? A house? A spouse? How long did it last? No matter how hard we try, or how much we spend, as long as we live with a happy meal mentality, happiness will elude us.

Ortberg paraphrased a familiar quote by St. Augustine: “Our hearts are restless till they find rest in thee.” Or as David said it, “My soul finds rest in God alone…” (Psalm 62:1)

Take a moment today to think about your next Happy Meal. Instead of pursuing one more thing, one more possession, one more acquisition … instead of striving for bigger numbers or better money or more praise directed your way … spend a few minutes alone with the God who loves you, and let his presence in your life satisfy you.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isaiah 55:2)

Run in such a way as to win the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24)

I was in a production of My Fair Lady in high school. My role was small; I think I was credited as the third cockney on the left. But didn’t someone say somewhere that there are no small roles?

Regardless, our school was entered in a state-wide drama competition. First prize included the chance to perform in a professional playhouse. The judges were scheduled to come to the Saturday night performance, but for some reason they showed up on Thursday, the night of our dress rehearsal.

Shortly before the performance, our director explained the mixup to the cast and crew: “This is not just a run-through. Tonight counts. Give your best performance.”

This changed the atmosphere backstage. Getting everything right — every line, every cue, every entrance and exit — was now more important than ever. The judges were in the audience. This was no dress rehearsal. It was the real thing.

You know what? The life you’re living today is the real thing. Sometimes we live as if this is all a run-through, as if we’ll have another shot at it someday.

This is it. Life is now. There is no dress rehearsal. Today counts.

By the way, we won the competition that year.

Then a man named Ron Scolastico told him, “If you would go to a very large tree and take five swings at it with a very sharp ax, eventually, no matter how large the tree, it would have to come down.”

Out of this advice Canfield developed what he called The Rule of Five: every day he did five specific things that moved him toward the goal of getting Chicken Soup on the best seller list. He might do five radio interviews or send out five review copies or call five bookstores, and on and on.

Eventually the ax felled the tree; two years after the book came out, it made the New York Times best seller list, where it stayed for many months.

Where can you apply the rule of five in your life? Can you make a five-minute phone call of encouragement to one of your leaders every day? Or send five ‘thank-you’ emails each morning? Or read five pages of a book each day? Or review five memory verses?

As you survey the areas of your life and ministry that present the greatest opportunities for growth, think about how you can apply Canfield’s Rule of Five. How can you take five strong swings at the tree day after day?

Solomon said, “He who works his land will have abundant food.” (Proverbs 12:11) The rule of five is a great way to start working your land.

If we choose, we can wipe slate clean from yesterday and begin a new day. There’s nothing special about January 1, of course, but there is something special about the decision to break away from old habits and develop new ones. It can be done any day — January 1 is as good a day as any. The important thing is to devote oneself to doing better and trying harder.

It was said of Hezekiah: “In everything he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” (2 Chronicles 31:21)

A decision to seek God more and serve him without reservation — this a great way to begin the New Year, or any new day. — SM

One rep is quick to speak up first. He says, “I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.” Poof! He’s gone.

The next rep speaks up. “I want to be fishing in a stream in the Colorado Rockies.” Poof! He’s gone.

The genie turns to the sales manager and says, “Your turn.” The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.”

It makes a difference who has the last word, doesn’t it? The question is: who, or what, will have the last word in your life today? Will your choices today be driven by ambition, revenge, or mere whim? Or will the Word of God have the final say?

Paul said, “Let the word of Christ dwell richly within you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” (Colossians 3:16)

Do you know what he’s saying? He’s saying Let God’s word have the final word in your life — today, and everyday. — SM