Cheerfulness L in life is a great benefit.
You have probably seen some of these bulletin bloopers: • For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs. • Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community. • Seven new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of new members, and to the deterioration of some of older ones.
• The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals. • Don’t let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
Of course laughter is good for you, but not all laughter. Cruel jokes and laughing at another person’s misfortune are out of place. But having a cheerful heart is a good thing! Here are some key components in a cheerful heart:
• Knowing you have peace with God. There are mind altering drugs that give the illusion of peace and calm, but they do not last. Compare this to peace the saved sinner enjoys. In Matthew 9 Jesus heals a paralytic. He is able to get up, take up his bed and walk. Yet the joy he experiences is also in hearing Jesus declare, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
• Active service, a ministry of loving others. The selfish person is never cheerful. When you live for yourself, your outlook is on why others are not doing things for you or agreeing with you. The cheerful person finds that serving others through the strength God provides gives him joy. Nehemiah 8:10 “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
• There will be times when even the most cheerful among us will feel cast down. When this happens, it is a blessing to be able to sing the hymns of the faith. James 5:13: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.”
If you struggle to remain cheerful or you lack the assurance that you have peace with God, then consider these points.
And may these words from 2 Peter 1:2 be a prayer for you; “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”?
Rev. Calvin Draffin is a retired ARP minister and lives in Clover, SC. May/June 2021 15
By Rev. Calvin Draffin “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
ighten Up! Is the name of a two minute daily feature on some Christian radio stations. The show is by Ken Davis and is intended to encourage your faith with humor and insights about life, family and relationships with others. Having the ability to laugh, to be cheerful and to have a peace about the situations
Devotion
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