Cheerfulness: March 25, 2013

Today's Word for MONDAY MARCH 25, 2013

CHEERFULNESS

DEFINITION:

Serene joyfulness; an attitude of hopefulness and gladness.

SCRIPTURE:

A happy heart makes the face cheerful. Proverbs 15:13.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We live in stressful times and sometimes it is difficult to find something to be happy about. How many people do you know that are always cheerful when you meet them? Frankly, the pressures of life today make it difficult for one to live a consistent cheerful life.

Those that are cheerful usually have a more positive outlook on life and have found some measure of peace and contentment. Usually these are people of faith who are believers in Jesus Christ and have a relationship with Jesus. Jesus said that it is in Him that we have peace (John 16:33). Those who do not have that right relationship with Jesus cannot know this peace or begin to comprehend it.

In the ministry that we worked in for over 30 years we had a secretary that always was cheerful. Every day when you met her she had a big smile and a cheerful comment. She loved the Lord and her face always radiated His love for her.

We all know that we have good and bad days. On our bad days, few of us feel naturally inclined to be cheerful. The scriptures tell us that cheerfulness comes from a happy heart (Proverbs 15:13 above). If our hearts are right with the Lord they can be, as this scripture says, happy. When we have a happy heart it is going to be seen by others. 

Jesus warned us in John 16:33 that in this world we will have tribulation (trouble). Not every day will be a good day. But Jesus also tells us that we can be of good cheer because He has overcome the world and all the evil in it. We can have cheer because the victory has already been won. When we let the Lord control our lives, we know that our Lord is on our side in every battle we face. As believers we have peace in our hearts because our sins are forgiven and we have the gift of eternal life. Just thinking about all the Lord has done for us and remembering His promise to never leave us nor forsake us will bring cheer to our heart and life and encourage our spirit.

All that we have belongs to the Lord, because He has given it to us and we are required to honor the Lord by our giving back to Him a portion of what He has given to us. When we talk about giving back to God we refer to our time, our talent and our resources. All we have has been given to us by God. In II Corinthians 9:7 Paul reminds us that God loves a cheerful giver.

Some can give more than others because they have been blessed with more to give. It isn't about how much we give, but about our attitude of giving. We should not give reluctantly, or just because we feel we have to, but we should give willingly and gladly (cheerfully). The Lord knows our heart and it is the cheerful attitude of our heart that is pleasing to God.

In Romans 12:8 Paul also reminds us that we are all given different talents and abilities and we have a responsibility to use them for His glory and to grow the family of God but we must do it cheerfully. It is by our cheerful attitudes that others see in us that we are Christians and that we have something that they do not have. It is by our attitude that others will see that our faith is real.

We have been in many places around the world and have witnessed church conferences and church meetings. Probably our visits to Kenya have left the most lasting impressions of cheerfulness among believers on our hearts. These people that we worshipped with and ministered to were the poorest of the poor in worldly goods, but they were the richest of the rich when it came to spiritual things. Their outward cheerfulness they exhibited could only come from their love for God and the inward joy they had in their hearts.

Take time today to be cheerful to those you meet. Remember each person you meet today is facing frustrations and concerns in their lives, but a smile and a touch of cheerfulness from you could lift their spirits.

Proverbs 11:22 says that a cheerful heart is good medicine. A cheerful word of encouragement from you can be like a pain relieving medicine for someone going through a tough time.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

PRAYER:

Give me and my family today a new attitude of cheerfulness. Help us to be cheerful to each other and also to those we meet today. Help me to manifest my cheerfulness to You by giving a portion of my time, talents and resources back to You.