Smile!

It’s been said that laughter is like changing a baby’s diaper... it doesn’t permanently solve any problems, but it makes things more acceptable for a while.   So true!  When we are upbeat, positive, and keep our sense of humor... good things happen.  Doctors tell us that happy people decrease their chances of heart attack, high blood pressure, and hypertension.  And those are just the medical benefits!  

The Bible reminds us in Proverbs 17:22 that “A joyful heart is good medicine”  But how can we remain happy throughout our trying days?  Psalm 16:11 answers that by saying that we can find joy in God’s presence.  So that’s the key!  Stay close to God... and He will give us the joy that allows us to laugh when others are anxious and have peace when the world seems dark.  When we deliberately stay in God’s Word, talk with Him consistently through prayer, and worship Him through our actions... we draw closer and become filled with more joy in the process.   Want to be happy and healthy but find yourself stressed and worried?  Get closer to the One who gave you both the reason and ability to smile!

Smile

I once read a quote from a 6 year old girl named Emma.  She said, “Love is when you’re missing some of your teeth but you’re not afraid to smile because your friends will still love you even though some of you is missing.”  That quote made me think of a passage of scripture I read in Romans 5... “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  

So many of us feel like something’s missing... we don’t measure up...we’ve blown it... we don’t feel worthy of Jesus’ love... But this passage assures us that Jesus doesn’t love us because we’re perfect... He loves us because He chooses to.  He loves us so much that He died for us while we were still broken, hurting, and incomplete.  Now, that’s a reason to smile!