The Power of A Smile

Did you know that your smile is actually contagious? According to Psychology Today, “Each time you smile at a person, their brain coaxes them to return the favor. You are creating a symbiotic relationship that allows both of you to release feel-good chemicals in your brain, activate reward centers, make you both more attractive, and increase the chances of you both living longer, healthier lives.”

The Word of God says, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:13 NIV). So if you choose to be happy on the inside, it will show on the outside. You’ll be walking around with a cheerful face. If you choose to be angry or sad, that will also show up on the outside. You’ll be walking around with a crushed spirit, and we all know what that looks like.

But here’s something really interesting: Proverbs 15:30 says, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.” So the converse is also true. It’s not just that what’s on the inside affects what on the outside. It works the other way around too. Put a cheerful look on your face, and guess what, you’ll bring joy to your own heart and the hearts of others!

There may be times when you feel like you don’t have anything to smile about. Life feels like it hasn’t been fair. It has been too hard, and you don’t understand why it goes on this way. When you feel this way, there is a simple solution. Ask God what you have to smile about.

He will be faithful to show you!

Even when all hell is breaking loose, keep smiling. Even when it hurts. Keep smiling. Let God turn that frown upside down. Let Him remind you of all the good things in your life.

Don’t let the enemy play with your emotions. He will tell you things like that you’re never going to find happiness. It will always be this way. There is no better day in sight. There’s no hope.

Those are lies!

We have to remember that the enemy has a job to do. His job is to make you feel bad. He wants you to walk around being an emotional wreck, with a cloud of doom and gloom hanging over your head all the time.

But see, God wants us happy. That’s why He says that a merry heart does us good, like medicine (Proverbs 17:22). No matter how bad you feel, ask the Lord to let you smile. You may have lost your joy due to the heartache and pain, but remember that there will be a morning. Weeping only stays for the night. There’s going to be a morning and you will rejoice.

In fact, you can let your morning begin right now. Just choose to believe it is that way. Forget what the circumstances say. Turn off your analysis. Shut down your reasoning. Believe that this is your morning.

And rejoice.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are my strength and my redeemer. You are my healer and my provider. Lord, I give you all of my worries right now. I lay them all at your feet. Fill me with your joy. Take away this sadness, pain, hurt, and sickness of soul that is dampening my thoughts and clouding my emotions. Help me to have joy and peace in my life. Focus my thoughts on You. In Jesus name, amen.