DAILY WORD 11/2/21
30. A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.
Proverbs 15:30 NLT
Today’s Passage takes a turn from the “if this, then that” style that the author has employed and gives us a glimpse into how positivity and a good attitude can be as powerful as any force in our lives.
Most of us by now know about the Power of “Positive Thinking.” How simply contemplating and reflecting or meditating on something constructive and optimistic can do wonders for both attitude and outlook.
If I’m being honest, I’ve always had my doubts about all of that positivity and meditation mumbo jumbo. However, as time has progressed and maturity and experience have graced me with understanding, I have begun to accept the benefits of the practice.
But, I am still not adept at consistently embracing Positive Thinking. As so many of us are, I am prone to entertaining thoughts and allowing my mind to flirt with the worst-case scenario. Things could go wrong, and if they did, I’d do so and so.
That is seemingly the natural fallback for many of us, and it’s undoubtedly my position more often than not. However, regardless of my doubts concerning the Power of Positive Thinking, Today’s Passage clarifies that those who are full of God’s Wisdom understand its benefits.
What is the first thing we all do when things take a turn for the worse or something befalls us that we do not like? The answer is universal. We frown. Now, when you think about it, that doesn’t seem like such a big deal. However, that one small action can have extremely wide-reaching consequences.
First of all, it has been proven that the act of smiling helps release chemicals in the brain that boost mood. So, even if you’re not feeling smiley, by simply doing it anyway, you are changing the landscape of your attitude. But let’s take it a step further.
As individuals, especially as Christians, few of us truly understand just how impactful we can be. Whether we know it or not, we are all leaders, even if it is just ushering in an attitude others see and reflect. As individuals, you may not perceive the importance of this, but as Christians, you must!
Here’s why. As Followers of Christ, we are expected to display His Transformative Power to the world, and the only way we can do this is to demonstrate His Grace through our lives. If God is Good, then shouldn’t we be happy?
Now, given the lives we lead, most of us will rarely have the opportunity to stop strangers or even those close to us and explain our Faith or, further still, our attitudes to them. We all have a lot going on and to enlighten the masses to our struggles and how God has impacted them is simply unrealistic.
But there is one thing we can do that everyone who interacts with us can see that will inform them almost more than anything else about our inner state of mind. We can smile.
Now, I get that just walking around with a perpetual smile stamped into our mugs is a little off-putting. There’s a name for folks like that. However, it is the attitude that exudes from a smiling heart that is what’s important here, and more so, it is the thing that those around us will respond to the most. You don’t necessarily have to stop someone and tell them that God’s Grace has made you glad. But you’ll never even get the chance if your face tells them that it has not.
A simple smile can go a long way. It can open a dialogue that a frown will not, which leads us to the next portion of the Verse, where the author wrote, “good news makes for good health.”
Imagine this: you’re talking to someone about Christ, and all that comes out of your mouth is the bad things happening around you. What kind of impact do you think that will have on them? Will it lead them toward God and His Love, or will it indicate to them that maybe what your selling isn’t worth the effort?
We all have the power to subtly influence those around us by presenting even what we consider negative moments in a positive light. If we know that “All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.” And if we understand that what the enemy means for evil, God will use for good, then where are all these negative attitudes coming from in the first place?
Faith in God means that we show the world His Love because we actually believe it exists, and even if we don’t deserve it, He still Blesses us with it! If you truly believe that, then there should be a smile in your heart displayed in your attitude and on your face.
If this is not where you find yourself, it may be time to reassess your relationship with God and His Power. Because if anything can promote a Positive Attitude, God’s Grace can. Is your attitude drawing people to Him or driving them away? That’s something for us all to contemplate from time to time.
Have a Terrific Tuesday And Remember, The Impact You Have Extends Beyond Your Life. Be The Light!
#dailyword
