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.
You shall laugh at the unrighteous and the lawless, and you shall not be afraid of wild beasts.
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may abide in you, and that your joy may be full.
You have made known to me the ways of life; You will fill me with joy with Your countenance: at Your right hand there are delights forever.
When the heart rejoices, the countenance is cheerful, but when it is in sorrow, the countenance is sad.
Then was our mouth filled with joy, and our tongue with exaltation; then would they say among the Gentiles, The Lord has done great things among them.
The ordinances of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes.
The Lord is my helper and my defender; my heart has hoped in Him, and I am helped; my flesh has revived, and willingly will I give praise to Him.
For anger is in His wrath, but life in His favor; weeping shall tarry for the evening, but joy comes in the morning.
And Sarah said, The Lord has made laughter for me, for whoever shall hear shall rejoice with me.
Rejoice always!Pray without ceasing!In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
You have turned my mourning into joy for me; You have removed my sackcloth, and have clothed me with gladness;
As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools. This is also vanity.
Why are you downcast, O my soul? And why do you trouble me? Hope in God; for I will give thanks to Him; He is the salvation of my countenance.
Let all that seek You rejoice and be glad in You: and let those that love Your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
For You, O Lord, have made me glad with Your work; and in the operations of Your hands will I rejoice.
Your mercy, O Lord, has helped me. O Lord, according to the multitude of my griefs within my heart, Your consolation has soothed my soul.
The praise of a Song by David. Come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to God our Savior.Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise to Him with psalms.
Light has sprung up for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; and give thanks for a remembrance of His holiness.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.They went on and wept as they cast their seeds; but they shall surely come with exaltation, bringing their sheaves with them.
A Song of Degrees. Blessed are all they that fear the Lord; who walk in His ways.You shall eat the labors of your hands. Blessed are you, and it shall be well with you.
Men bless the people to whom this lot belongs, but blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.
A terrible word troubles the heart of a righteous man, but a good message rejoices him.
The righteous always have light, but the light of the ungodly is quenched. (13:9A) Crafty souls go astray in sins, but just men have pity, and are merciful.
A meek-spirited man is a healer of the heart, but passion is a corruption to the bones.
The eyes of the wicked are always looking for evil things, but the good are always quiet.
It is the joy of the righteous to do judgment, but a holy man is abominable with evildoers.
For God has given wisdom, knowledge, and joy to the man who is good in His sight, but He has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that He may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and grasping for the wind.
I know that there is no good in them, except for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.Also, every man who shall eat and drink, and see good in all his labor, this is a gift of God.
And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see anything of that which shall be after him?
Yea, and as for every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given to him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.
In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity. Consider, I say, God also has caused the one to agree with the other for this reason, that man should find nothing after him.
Go, eat your bread with mirth, and drink your wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favorably accepted your works.
Behold, my God is my Savior; I will trust in Him, and not be afraid; for the Lord is my glory and my praise, and has become my salvation.Therefore draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation.
and shall return, and come to Zion with joy, and everlasting joy shall be over their head; for on their head shall be praise and exaltation, and joy shall take possession of them; sorrow and pain, and groaning have fled away.
For by the help of the Lord they shall return, and come to Zion with joy and everlasting exaltation, for praise and joy shall come upon their head; pain, grief, and groaning have fled away.
For you shall go forth with joy, and shall be taught with gladness; for the mountains and the hills shall exalt to welcome you with joy, and all the trees of the field shall applaud with their branches.
that there should be given to them that mourn in Zion glory instead of ashes, the oil of joy to the mourners, the garment of glory for the spirit of heaviness; and they shall be called generations of righteousness, the planting of the Lord for glory.
But they shall find in her joy and exaltation; for behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and My people a joy.And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and will be glad in My people; and there shall no more be heard in her the voice of weeping, or the voice of crying.
Consume them, and Your word shall be to me for the joy and gladness of my heart. For Your name has been called upon me, O Lord Almighty.
Then shall the virgins rejoice in the assembly of youth, and the old men shall rejoice; and I will turn their mourning into joy, and will make them merry.
The Lord your God is in you; the Mighty One shall save you: He shall bring joy upon you, and shall refresh you with His love; and He shall rejoice over you with delight as in a day of feasting.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
"Moreover, when you fast, do not become gloomy, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly I say to you, that they receive their reward in full.But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
And behold, they were carrying a paralytic to Him lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Have courage, child; your sins are forgiven you."
"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
And going out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to report to His disciples.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names have been written in heaven."
I say to you that likewise there shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner repenting than over ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance.
Just so, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Most assuredly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be grieved, but your grief will be turned into joy.
Therefore you also now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
But now I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
You have made known to me the ways of life; You will fill me full of joy in Your presence."
through whom also we have had access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.And not only that, but we also rejoice in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces endurance;
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Great is my confidence toward you, great is my boasting concerning you. I have been filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.
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 the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not troublesome, but for you it is safe.
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
being strengthened with all power, according to the might of His glory, for all endurance and longsuffering with joy;
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, in that you received the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials,knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Does anyone among you suffer misfortune? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.
Whom not having seen, you love, in whom now not seeing, but believing, you rejoice with inexpressible joy and glorified,
but inasmuch as you partake in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, in order that also at the unveiling of His glory, you may rejoice with great happiness.
But let all that trust in You be glad in You: they shall rejoice forever, and You shall dwell among them; and all that love Your name shall rejoice in You.
Be glad in the Lord, and exalt, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you that are upright in heart!
For David, when his land was established. The Lord reigns, let the earth exalt, let many islands rejoice.
Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him; and let the children of Zion exalt in their King.
Then I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry. And this shall attend him in his labor all the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun.
The multitude of the people which you have brought down in your joy, they shall even rejoice before you as they that rejoice in harvest, and as they that divide the spoil.
Finally, brothers, as many things as are true, as many as are honorable, as many as are just, as many as are pure, as many as are lovely--if there is any virtue and if there is any praise--meditate on these things.