Proverbs 17:22 says – A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries us the bones.
This verse tells us that a joyful heart is the antidote for a broken spirit just as we use medicine to address the symptoms and speed up the healing of a variety of illnesses. A joyful heart provides a restorative effect in every area of life where we might be experiencing hopelessness, dryness and desolation.
According to modern science, joy, laughter and optimism lowers stress, improves immunity and health, while a broken, hopeless outlook on life, drains our energy and impacts our wellbeing negatively.
So, if we know that a joyful heart is good for our spirit, soul and bodies, what can we do to experience it?
I’ve always had the mindset that it was just what God gives, without any responsibility or accountability on my part. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the saying that “Happiness is temporary and circumstantial, the joy is a stable and profound position of gladness and delight, that only God gives.”
This is indeed true, but the way I understood it was I ask God and He gives it to me – end of story and not considering what is required of my part, which is the cultivation of joy.
To do our part and cultivate more joy, it’s imperative that we intentionally focus on the events of our lives from eternity’s perspective – from the lens of Sovereign God who knows what’s best for us. We must believe that God is always at work in our lives or we run the risk of being crushed in the spirit when we experience the tough circumstances of life.
We must remind ourselves daily that God in charge of our days and view the trials of life as character development courses and that all things will work out for our good – if we love Him and are called for His purpose. This is the root of a joyful heart. The unwavering trust we have in His good plans is the muscle of the daily strength He gives. It’s all about the position of your heart. It’s a function of where your hope lies.
Let’s set our minds on His truth and His joy shall forever be our strength. Amen!