A MERRY HEART

READ: Proverbs 15:13-30

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. – Proverbs 15:13

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 4-6

Are only a few fortunate people born with a bright outlook on life, or is optimism an attitude we can learn? Susan C. Vaughan, author of Half Full, Half Empty, says that seeing life’s possibilities instead of its pitfalls is the result of an internal process anyone can follow. One of her conclusions is that “there is a powerful link between facial expression and emotion.” She believes that people who begin to act happier actually feel happier.

There is merit in thinking and acting positively, but the Bible declares that true spiritual joy begins deep inside us, then spreads to our faces. A wise man wrote, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance …. He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast” (Prov. 15:13, 15). When we’re happy on the inside, our faces can’t help but show it on the outside.

How do we develop a merry heart? We can begin by thanking the Lord for being with us and working for our good in every situation (Rom. 8:28). It’s not a matter of pretending but of practicing an outlook on life that reflects our faith in Christ. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” Paul wrote from prison. “Again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4).

That kind of optimism begins with a merry heart and spreads quickly to the face. – David McCasland

The smile on the face that reveals true joy

Always comes from deep within;

It springs from a heart that is full of thanks –

That’s where our joy must begin. – Fitzhugh

If you have the joy of Christ in your heart, it will show on your face.