Discover Joy: Smile Despite Challenges 😊

Think about believers you know who radiate joy despite challenges. Their lives testify to the work of Jesus.

Joy isn't just about personal happiness; it's a testimony of God's strength within us. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, "The joy of the Lord is our strength".

But how do you get that strength when life sucks and joy is absent?

How do you rejoice when your world feels like your life is falling apart? 

Today I am going to share a simple instruction the Lord gave me when I was struggling to find any joy in my life. It is so simple we often overlook it when talking about finding joy. 

I pray it will leave you encouraged. 

The Lord's simple instruction to me. 

I was dealing with 4-5 major crises within my family and circle of friends. My heart was heavy. I carried a burden that was crushing me, and I was in severe physical pain with a bad back.

 My smile and the joy of the Lord had disappeared. I was in crisis mode, and my prayers reflected what I was going through. My best prayer was, "Lord, please help!"

I woke one cold winter morning to my Heavenly Father's voice saying, "Good morning, Rosanne! Smile!"

It was the last thing I wanted to do; it was cold, and life around me was painful, but I couldn't help but smile. The warmth of this word brought such joy to my heart. My heavenly Father cared about me enough to tell me to smile. 

It has been eight years since that morning, and it still makes me smile as I remember how God spoke to me. 

Back then, I had to make a conscious effort to smile throughout my day. My smile started out as a grimace. I had to choose to smile at the people I was living with, smile while driving, smile when shopping, and smile despite the pain and turmoil I was going through. 

I smiled because the Lord is good and because of his great love. I smiled because the Lord was near. The more I smiled, the more I wanted to thank him. Even my prayers changed in tone and hope filled my heart and mind.  

Now, I carry the joy of the Lord, and a smile is never far from my face. When I feel depressed I purposefully smile and find some things to give thanks for. 

I got through that difficult time with a lot of prayer, a powerful vision, and a smile on my face. I now have a greater awareness of what Nehemiah meant when he said the joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of Jesus became my strength, but I had to choose to let that joy touch my life, starting with a simple smile.😀

In these turbulent times, we all have stuff going on that can rob us of our joy and our smiles. I feel like the Lord is saying to you, SMILE!

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Some suggestions to help you smile even when life is rough 😀

Make it a challenge for a week to smile and record the difference it makes. 

1.    Identify five things that you love about Jesus and begin to thank Him for these things with a smile on your face. Use these five things as a prompt when you feel the heaviness coming upon you from the situations you face.😍

2.    Practice smiling in front of the mirror. Make it a face workout. Do ten big ear-to-ear smiles in a row. Do this every morning when you clean your teeth. Not only will your smile reward centre be activated, but you might also have a good laugh at yourself as you do the workout.  😂

3.    Smile as you make eye contact with the people you live with at least twice daily. Watch their response.🙂

4.    Smile when you are praying. Notice how you feel about praying when you smile. 

5.    Smile while you are driving. Smile at the checkout people. Smile while you are working.

A word of warning with the smile; Be careful when you smile at the opposite sex, as it could be interpreted as a come-on signal. 😂 Another story for another time. 

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Our Heavenly Father cares about our emotional state. Smiling is an expression of joy and happiness and has so many benefits. Smiling is good for your health. 

Our Father in Heaven is encouraging us to find our strength in the joy of the Lord. It is a choice we need to make. A smile followed by thanksgiving are the first two steps to take.

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Your Thoughts

I would love to hear how the Lord spoke to you about choosing to smile. 

If you decide to take up the smiling challenge, let me know how it affects your life.

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Praying hands show a prayer time

My Prayer For You

Thank you, loving Father for Jesus and all he did on the cross.

Thank you for giving us the ability to smile. Thank you for all the goodness a smile brings to our lives. 

Lord,  please help us to draw near to you with a thankful heart and a smile on our faces. Please remind us to smile throughout our day and when we pray. 

May your smile bring joy to the people around you. May your smile bring pleasure to your loving heavenly Father. 

May the God of hope fill you, with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 Amen