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 violence and at famine; and you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
I have spoken these things to you that My joy may abide in you, and your joy may be made full.
You will make Me know the way of life. In Your presence is fullness of joys; at Your right hand are pleasures forever.
Then our mouth was full of laughter, and our tongue gave a ringing cry of joy; then they said among the nations, Jehovah will work great things with these.
The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of Jehovah is pure, giving light to the eyes.
Jehovah is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; yea, my heart greatly rejoices, and I will thank Him with my song.
For His anger is only a moment; in His favor is life. Weeping may endure in the evening, but a ringing cry of joy comes in the morning.
Rejoice always.Pray without ceasing.In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have loosed my sackcloth and have clothed me with gladness.
For as the sound of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. And this also is vanity.
O my soul, why are you cast down and moan within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet thank Him for the salvations of His presence.
But the righteous ones are glad; they shout for joy before God; yea, they exult with gladness.
Let all those who seek You rejoice, and be glad in You; and let the one loving salvation; forever say, Let God be magnified.
O satisfy us in the morning with Your mercy, and we will be glad and rejoice all our days.
For You have made me glad with Your work, O Jehovah; I will sing out in the works of Your hands.
O come, let us sing to Jehovah; let us shout to the Rock of our salvation.Let us go before His face with praise; let us shout to Him with songs.
Light is sown for the righteous one, and gladness for the upright in heart.Be glad in Jehovah, O righteous ones; give thanks to the memory of His holiness.
Those who sow in tears shall reap with a ringing cry of joy.Walking he who walks and weeps, bearing a trail of seed, shall come again with a ringing cry of joy, bearing his sheaves.
A Song of Ascents. Blessed is everyone who fears Jehovah, walking in His ways.For you shall surely eat the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and all is good to you.
The expectation of the righteous ones is joyful, but the hope of the wicked ones shall perish.
The light of the righteous ones rejoice, but the lamp of the wicked ones shall be put out.
A heart of healing is the life of the flesh, but jealousy is the rottenness of the bones.
All the days of the afflicted one are evil days, but a good heart is a continual feast.
He being prudent on a matter shall find good success; yea, he trusting in Jehovah, blessed is he!
It is joy to the righteous one to do justice, but ruin shall come to the workers of iniquity.
For God gives wisdom, and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight. But to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and to heap up, to give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and striving after wind.
I know that there is no good in them, except for a man to rejoice to do good in his life.And also every man that eats and drinks, and sees good in his labor, it is the gift of God.
And I have seen that nothing is better than that the man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?
Also every man to whom God has given riches and treasures, and gives him power to eat of it, and to take his share, and to rejoice in being a laborer; it is the gift of God.
On the good day, be in good spirit, but also consider in the evil day, that God has made this one along with this one, so that man should not find anything after him.
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a good heart, for God now is pleased with your works.
Behold, God is my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for my strength and song is Jah Jehovah; yea, He has become my salvation.And you shall draw waters out of the wells of salvation with joy.
And ones being ransomed of Jehovah shall return and enter Zion with a ringing cry of joy. and with everlasting joy on their head; gladness and joy shall reach them, and sorrow and sighing shall flee.
Yea, the ransomed of Jehovah shall return and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be on their head; gladness and joy shall overtake them; sorrow and sighing shall flee.
For you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break out into song before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap the palm.
to appoint to the mourning ones of Zion, to give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the spirit of infirmity, so that one calls them trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, in order to beautify Himself.
But, be glad and rejoice till forever in what I create. For, behold, I create in Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people. And the voice of weeping and the voice of crying shall no longer be heard in her.
Your words were found and I ate them; and Your Word was to me the joy and gladness of my heart. For I am called by Your name, O Jehovah, God of Hosts.
Then the virgin shall rejoice in the dance, both young men and elders together. For I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Jehovah your God is a mighty One in your midst; He will save. He will rejoice over you with joy; He is silent in His love. He rejoices over you with a joyful shout.
Rejoice and be exceeding joyful, for your reward is great in Heaven; for in this way they persecuted the prophets, the ones before you.
And when you fast, do not be as the hypocrites, with sullen face, for they disfigure their faces so that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you that they have their reward.But you in fasting, anoint your head and wash your face,so as not to appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, will repay you in the open.
And, behold! They were bringing a paralytic lying on a cot to Him. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed one, Have courage, child. Your sins have been remitted.
And his lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many. Enter into the joy of your lord.
And going away from the tomb quickly, with fear and great joy, they ran to report to His disciples.
Blessed are those hungering now, for you will be filled. Blessed are the ones weeping now, for you will laugh.
But do not rejoicing in this, that the evil spirits are subject to you but, rather rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.
I say to you that so is joy in Heaven over one sinner repenting, than over ninety nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.
Truly, truly, I say to you that you will weep and will lament, but the world will rejoice. And you will be grieved, but your grief will become joy.
And you, therefore, truly have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy from you.
And now I am coming to You, and I speak these things in the world, that they may have My joy having been fulfilled in them.
You revealed to Me paths of life; You will fill Me with joy with Your face.” LXXPsa. 15:8-11; MT-Psa. 16:8-11
through whom also we have had access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we glory on the hope of the glory of God.And not only so, but we glory also in afflictions, knowing that affliction fully works patient endurance,
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, for you to abound in hope, in power of the Holy Spirit.
My boldness toward you is great. My boasting on your behalf is much. I have been filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy on all our affliction.
But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,meekness, self-control. Against such things there is not a law.
For the rest, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you truly is not troublesome to me, but safe for you.
and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
being empowered with all power according to the might of His glory, to all patience and long-suffering with joy;
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing yourselves 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, welcoming the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit.
looking to the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, “and has sat down at the right hand” of the throne of God.”
My brothers count it all joy when you fall into various trials,knowing that the testing of your faith works enduring patience.
Does anyone suffer hardships among you? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him praise in song.
whom having not known, you love; in whom not yet seeing, but believing, you exult with joy unspeakable and being glorified,
but according as you share the sufferings of Christ, rejoice; so that you may rejoice exultingly at the revelation of His glory.
But all putting their trust in You shall be joyful; they shall shout for joy forever, because You cover them. And those who love Your name shall be joyful in You.
Be glad in Jehovah and rejoice, you righteous ones; and all the upright in heart, give a ringing cry of joy.
Then I praised mirth, because nothing is good for man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be glad. For that shall join with him in his labor for the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
You have not multiplied the nation; You have not increased the joy. They rejoice before You as in the joy of harvest, as men shout when they divide the plunder.
For the rest, brothers, as many things as are true, as many as are honorable, as many as are right, as many as are pure, as many as are pleasing, as many as are of good report, if of any virtue, and if of any praise, meditate on these things.