Students,
Proverbs 17:22, “A happy heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”
This Christmas season, God has highlighted to me the word merry in Merry Christmas! The word merry means to “be very happy and cheerful.” It is an opportunity to show joy and happiness. I love that! As believers, we all have something to be very happy about and right now, we can be happy that Christmas is all about Jesus and the relationship that we get to have with God because of Jesus’ birth, life, sacrifice, death, resurrection, and ascension.
You see, the enemy knows the power of happiness, joy, laughter, and healthy humor, and that is why he is constantly seeking to attack us through stress, depression, anxiousness, and worry. It’s time that we, as sons and daughters of God, take the gift of laughter and happy back.
Studies show that laughter strengthens our immune systems, boost our energy, helps to diminish pain, and protects us from the damaging effects of stress. Healthy humor lightens our burdens, inspires hope, strengthens relationships, and keeps us focused and alert.
Think about it, being joyful is not based on a feeling, it is based on a choice. Psalms 118:24, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Matthew 26:30 records that Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn together following the Passover meal, and Jewish tradition tells us that the hymn would have been Psalms 115-118. Wow, think about that verse coming out of Jesus’ mouth and filling His heart as He would ultimately give His life for all of ours. Jesus drew strength from choosing to rejoice.
It’s time for all of us to choose to walk in joy, happiness, and cheerfulness; to take the gift of laughter back, and see how God uses this gift to strengthen our physical bodies, our relationships, and even as an evangelism tool as we share the good news of Jesus with others.
So today, choose to smile, have fun, laugh out loud, and look for ways to share the gift of joy and happiness with others!
And if for some reason you have just gotten stuck and it’s hard to be happy or rejoice, then pray the following prayer that David himself prayed in Psalms 51:12, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” Life happens and the enemy wants us to get stuck. Jesus came to set us free and to restore us fully! Find yourself in His presence and let Him begin the restoration process in YOU. God loves you and He is with you. Let that truth be the beginning to that powerful smile.
Love you guys!
Tommy
