Joy is something we should experience when we accept Jesus as
our Savior! Unspeakable, unstoppable, incomprehensible JOY!!
So, what does joy have to do with a cheerful heart? They are
interrelated. Joy is an expression of happiness, a state of being. Cheerfulness
is an action; willingness, pleasantness, and merriness. Once joy is instilled
in us, then cheerfulness comes as a second nature.
How can we be happy ALL the time? There’s always something in
our lives to beat us down; politics, death, work deadlines, etc. There is an
answer: simply let Jesus shine through you! Give up all of your burdens to Him,
communicate to Him incessantly, and openly praise Him. It’s not that hard to be
a happy person when you’ve got Jesus behind you! Even if there are difficult
things we have to deal with, complaining and being grumpy isn’t going to
improve the situation. Instead, having a positive outlook is going to lighten
the load.
So what do we get for being cheerful and joyous? People are
most likely going to notice us. “Who is that person? She looks really happy. Is
she like that all the time?” or “Wow, he looks like he’s full of joy. I wonder
why.” This opens up an opportunity to tell them the reason you’re happy! The combination of your faith and the joy you
express will probably make an impact on them. You can evangelize to others by
being joyous!
Also, the book of Proverbs states that “all the days of the
oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Having a cheerful heart makes our lives rich
and abundant---not wretched! When Jesus gives us his unconquerable joy, Satan
is unable to destroy our lives.
“Let us seek
the grace of a cheerful heart, an even temper, sweetness, gentleness, and
brightness of mind, as walking in His light, and by His grace. Let us pray to
Him to give us the spirit of ever-abundant, everspringing love, which
overpowers and sweeps away the vexations of life by its own richness and
strength, and which, above all things, unites us to Him who is the fountain and
the centre of all mercy, lovingkindness, and joy.” –John Henry Newman
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