Yesterday I was able to speak with our youngest daughter via FaceTime. I know, I’ve told you before but this brings such joy to my heart. Seeing and talking to my kids is heartwarming.
Our daughter was sitting in the parking area of her daughter’s school waiting for the after school pickup. Our youngest granddaughter was in her car seat and occasionally her mom would put her on camera. Each time she would smile and wave and throw kisses. That’s how it is almost every time we see her. Dave used to remark that she never cried and she rarely did.
Her joy is contagious.
“If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over.” Proverbs 17:22 CEV
Another translation says “a merry heart is good like a medicine but a broken spirit dries up the bones”.
Take that verse to heart, literally. When we have a joyful heart we are healthier emotionally and physically. There’s another verse that says “the joy of the Lord is our strength”. When we are filled with joy we are more energetic, more motivated.
We’ve all been around people who have a negative, gloomy outlook. Their shoulders slump, their head is down, they walk slower, like they are just plodding along and before long, if we’re not careful, their attitude will effect us and we begin to notice all the negatives and our attitude begins to sink as well.
But, when we are filled with joy we not only strengthen our own hearts we impact those around us. I don’t know how many people I’ve met this summer that have remarked about my smile and my cheerful greeting. They stop at the check-in just to hear me say hello and give them a smile.
Oral Roberts, an evangelist in the 1940’s and 50’s, was known for saying “something good is going to happen to you today”. Some people criticized him for this, I guess they wanted him to proclaim gloom and doom, hell fire and brimestone but he wanted people to know that God is good and He wants to bring His goodness to our lives.
That’s what grace is; it’s God’s goodness in action. Grace is God freely giving us what we don’t deserve. We all deserve to be punished for our sins but God gives us forgiveness through Christ and fills our lives with blessings.
“Praise the Lord! He is good. God’s love never fails. 2 Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails. 3 Praise the Lord of lords. God’s love never fails.” Psalm 136:1-3 CEV
Experiencing God’s love and forgiveness should fill our hearts with a never-ending supply of joy and praise!
When God’s love fills our hearts, gratitude will too. Our joy will become contagious – just smile and wave!