A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (Proverbs 15:13)

I piled groceries in my car and carefully exited my parking spot. Suddenly a man darted across the pavement just in front of me, not noticing my approach. I slammed on my brakes, just missing him. Startled, he looked up and met my gaze. In that moment, I knew I had a choice: respond with rolled-eye frustration or offer a smiling forgiveness. I smiled.

Relief flickered across his face, raising the edges of his own lips in gratefulness.

Proverbs 15:13 says, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Is the writer directing us to cheery grins in the face of every interruption, disappointment, and inconvenience life brings? Surely not! There are times for genuine mourning, despair, and even anger at injustice. But in our everyday moments, a smile can offer relief, hope, and the grace needed to continue.

Perhaps the point of the proverb is that a smile naturally results from the condition of our inner beings. A “merry heart” is at peace, content, and yielded to God’s best. With such a heart, happy from the inside out, we can respond to surprising circumstances with a genuine smile, inviting others to embrace the hope and peace they too can experience with God.

Dear Father, today as I cross paths with others around me, make my heart happy that I may share with them the hope only You can offer.

When I read this it blessed me. It reminded me of a saying I once read a while back. Us your smile to change the world, don’t let the world change your smile. With God in our lives we have hope and peace, why not reflect that in a simple, yet powerful gesture to those we come in contact with, a smile. Even in moments when the last thing someone may deserve is a smile, smile anyways. You never know the impact a smile can make in someone’s life. Most smiles are started by another smile. Everyday moments make an impact, what kind of impact will you choose to make today?

Have a beautiful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Proverbs 15:13-15