A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;
good news makes for good health.
Proverbs 15:30
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I was ready to pitch it in the trash along with all
the other junk mail. But just as I picked it up, the words from the
advertisement billowed, “Smile! It’s
free!”
Immediately I recalled an incident from earlier in the week.
My student had pointed to my employee badge, “I like that picture.”
“This?”
“Yeah, you’re smiling.
You should do that more often.”
Ouch! Was it true
that I rarely wore a smile? What keeps me from smiling?
Logic would say that personal concerns keep people from
smiling. And of course there are times
when a smile is not in order. But on a
normal work day…?
When we are inward focused, we allow personal concerns, such
as financial issues, relationship problems, and workplace woes, to wipe out our
best wardrobe accessory. But as Christians, we are called to be outward focused—to
go out into all the world and share
the good news (Mark 16:15). We are to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus
Christ (Romans 13:14), to wear the armor of light (Romans 13:12)—to let our
light shine (Matthew 5:16). And the best place to start is with a smile.
Smile! It’s free!
The dentist’s play-on-words slogan, which referred to a free whitening
service, gave me pause. Yes, smiling is free. But what if we don’t feel like
smiling? What if we think we have no
reason to smile? Then we need to think
again.
Of all people, Christians have the greatest reason to
smile—forgiveness of sins, which is the ultimate free whitening service.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow” (Isaiah
1:18). Freedom from the bondage of sin and having received the free gift of eternal
salvation should show on our faces. As
the song goes, “When you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely
show it.” “A happy heart makes the face cheerful” (Proverbs 15:13). Joy shows
on our faces, and it is contagious. It opens the door to meaningful
conversations about the source of our joy.
“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes
for good health” (Proverbs 15:30). If we are obedient to the Lord’s dress code,
wearing a smile even when we don’t feel like it, joy will surely follow. Joy in our heart—and in others. Joy that
shares the good news.
A closer look at the free whitening advertisement revealed “Certain
conditions apply.” And I remembered—certain conditions apply to God’s free
whitening offer, as well. His offer is available to all who recognize and
confess their sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). But there’s another condition. If we have received this free gift, then we
must advertise it to others. “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to
everyone” (Mark 16:15). We cannot keep it to ourselves. As another song goes, “Go,
tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere!” That includes our workplace.
Ouch! Thank You
for the reminders, Lord. Now if you’ll
excuse me, I need to get dressed.
Dear Lord, thank You
for Your free gift—this gift that cost me nothing but cost You Your Son. May I never take it for granted. May I wake
up each morning with a heart of gratitude that directs my dress code. And may I
work with a smile on my face, always
keeping in mind that I am serving You (Ephesians 6:7), and You are trusting me
with Your marketing. Amen. J
Thanks, Desiree, for reminding us that what is in our hearts is reflected on our faces. The Bible refers to this as our "countenance." According to Wikipedia, this is our "appearance, especially the features and expression of the face." It covers a lot more territory, though. It can include our body language, the expression that's seen in our eyes, as well as our smiles (or lack thereof)!
ReplyDeleteAs a dentist, I have the privilege of working to improve peoples' smiles. On one mission trip to Kentucky, a woman came to see us who had badly decayed front teeth. When we were finished with her, her teeth looked as good as the ones God originally gave her. Needless to say, she was overcome with excitement. "I haven't smiled in ten years; I've been so ashamed of my teeth!" It was truly a joy to give her the gift of smiling again.
More importantly, it gave us an opportunity to share the love of Christ with her. The free dental care that was offered to her opened up a door for the gospel. Isn't that the way Jesus ministered to people? He healed all their diseases (including some that were dentally-related, I'm sure) and then He ministered to their souls.
We've used a slogan for our office, "Changing Lives…One Smile at a Time!" It's a reminder to me and our whole team that God has given us an open door into peoples' lives. Yes, we're there to fix their teeth; but may we be involved in a much deeper work: the business of pointing others to Jesus Christ. The dental work that we provide will, at most, last them for a lifetime. It would be far better to be involved in a work that will last them for all eternity. If I'm using the skills that God has given me for His glory and to point others to Him, then we have the best of both worlds.
John the Baptist once said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven (John 3:27)." May each of us use what God has given to us to reach a world that desperately needs Him." May the joy of our salvation shine though us!
This one really made me "Smile"!!! Your insight was, once again, so true...thanks, pam
ReplyDeleteAnother good one Desiree! Made me think of a song I learned in Sunday School when I was a child.
ReplyDeleteI’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart to stay
Sure did bring a smile to my face! Thanks cousin!