Choosing to smile authentically, and even bringing a smile to someone else's face, can be a truly good thing, when the time and place are right. It's all about seeing a smile as something positive, a way to lift your own spirits and maybe even help someone else along the way.
Of course, too much of anything isn't good. There's a sweet spot between being overly serious and plastering on a fake smile. It's a balance where wisdom and joy, seriousness and a genuine smile can exist together beautifully. Everything has its time and place.
Laughter is an expression of the freedom Christ gave us through his loving sacrifice. And a heartfelt smile can be incredibly healing, especially for a hurting heart. Smiling through pain and rejoicing in your Creator – that’s what God wants for you, always.
I don't know what you're going through right now, but I want to encourage you to dry your tears, lift your head, and smile again. Because in Jesus, you have so much to be joyful about.
At destruction and dearth thou shall laugh, nor shall thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
Thou made known to (LXX/NT) me the path of life. Thou will fill me of joy with thy countenance (LXX/NT).
A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, LORD has done great things for them.
The precepts of LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
LORD is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise him.
For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy [is] in the morning.
Rejoice always.Pray without ceasing.In everything express thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Thou have turned for me my mourning into dancing. Thou have loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness,
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And [why] are thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him [for] the help of his countenance.
But let the righteous be glad. Let them exult before God. Yea, let them rejoice with gladness.
Let all those who seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee. And let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
O satisfy us in the morning with thy loving kindness, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
For thou, LORD, have made me glad through thy work. I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
O come, let us sing to LORD. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
Light is sown for the righteous man, and gladness for the upright in heart.Be glad in LORD, ye righteous, and give thanks to the memory of his holiness.
Make a joyful noise to LORD, all the earth. Break forth and sing for joy, yea, sing praises.
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.He who goes forth and weeps, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves.
Blessed [are] all who fear LORD, who walk in his ways.For thou shall eat the labor of thy hands. Happy thou shall be, and it shall be well with thee.
blessed [are] the people who are in such a case. Blessed are the people whose God is LORD.
The hope of the righteous [is] gladness, but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a cheerful heart [has] a continual feast.
He who gives heed to the word shall find good, and whoever trusts in LORD, happy is he.
It is joy to the righteous to do justice, but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
For to the man who pleases him [God] gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor. [It] is the gift of God.
Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion. For who shall bring him [back] to see what shall be after him?
Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor--this is the gift of God.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider. Yea, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted thy works.
Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid, for LORD, [even] LORD, is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.Therefore with joy ye shall draw water out of the wells of salvation.
And the ransomed of LORD shall return, and come with singing to Zion. And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy. And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
And the ransomed of LORD shall return, and come with singing to Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy, [and] sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.
to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of LORD, that
But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create. For, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people. And there shall no more be heard in her the voice of weeping and the voice of crying.
Thy words were found, and I ate them. And thy words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart. For I am called by thy name, O LORD, God of hosts.
Then the virgin shall rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together, for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
LORD thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over thee with joy. He will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing.
Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, because your reward is great in the heavens, for so they persecuted the prophets before you.
And when ye fast, become not like the gloomy looking hypocrites, for they make their faces unsightly, so that they may appear fasting to men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.But when thou fast, anoint thy head, and wash thy face,so that thou may not appear fasting to men, but to thy Father in secret. And thy Father, who sees in secret, will reward thee.
And behold, they brought to him a paralyzed man who was placed on a bed. And having seen their faith Jesus said to the paralyzed man, Cheer up, child, thy sins have been forgiven thee.
And his lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman. Thou were faithful over a few things, I will appoint thee over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
And after coming out quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, they ran to notify his disciples.
Blessed are those who hunger now, because ye will be filled. Blessed are those who weep now, because ye will laugh.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are made subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in the heavens.
I say to you, that thus there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous men who have no need of repentance.
Thus I say to you, there becomes joy in the presence of the agents of God over one sinner who repents.
Truly, truly, I say to you, that ye will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. Ye will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will become into joy.
And now therefore indeed ye have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no man takes your joy away from you.
And now I come to thee. And I speak these things in the world, so that they may have my joy fulfilled in them.
through whom also we have access by faith for this grace in which we stand, and we take pride in hope of the glory of God.And not only so, but we also take pride in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance,
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in Holy Spirit.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, for ye to abound in hope in the power of Holy Spirit.
Great is my boldness toward you, great is my pride for you. I have been filled with encouragement. I over-abound with joy in all our affliction.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in Lord. To write the same things to you is really not irksome to me, but safe for you.
And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
being strengthened in every ability, according to the dominion of his glory, for all perseverance and longsuffering with joy.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing by grace in your hearts to God.
And ye became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of Holy Spirit,
Looking to Jesus the pathfinder and perfecter of the faith, who, against the joy set before him, endured a cross, having despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when ye encounter various trials,knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Whom, not having seen, ye love, in whom, not now seeing but believing, ye exult in inexpressible and glorified joy,
But rejoice in so far as ye are partakers in the sufferings of the Christ, so that also at the revealing of his glory ye may rejoice, having exceeding joy.
But let all those who take refuge in thee rejoice. Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defend them. Let those also who love thy name be joyful in thee.
Be glad in LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous. And shout for joy, all ye who are upright in heart.
Praise ye LORD. O give thanks to LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness [is] forever.
In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.
Then I commended joy, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be cheerful. For that shall abide with him in his labor [all] the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
Thou have multiplied the nation. Thou have increased their joy. They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
Finally brothers, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are commendable, if anything is a virtue, and if