40 Days of Encouragement

Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of Encouragement
Day 32 | SOME SURPRISING BENEFITS OF HAPPINESS

SOME SURPRISING BENEFITS OF HAPPINESS

Proverbs 17:22
“A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (AMP)

Unless you live under a rock – in which case you are probably NOT getting these devotionals by email – you’ll probably admit that there is a lot of STRESS and UNHAPPINESS in the world today. Even in YOUR little world, I’ll bet you’re feeling some of that.  
 
Additionally, have you noticed how generally unhappy MANY people are today? Smiles seem few and far between, and angry drivers on the street seem commonplace.

So, what can YOU do to bring more happiness, joy, and health to YOUR life and the people nearest and dearest to you?

You can CHOOSE.

Abe Lincoln is generally credited with saying, “People are about as happy as they choose to be.”
For many of those reading this, it WILL take some effort. You’ll have first to CHOOSE to become happier, then DO the things necessary to improve your happiness.

Our verse from Proverbs today is ENCOURAGING to me… and hopefully to you. It tells us that a “happy heart” is GOOD medicine AND a “cheerful mind” works for healing.   Wow, how can you lose with that?!

Conversely, a broken spirit, a discouraged person, “dries up the bones” – which another translation says: “makes one sick.”

A wise man once said that “happiness is a moral obligation.”  In other words, besides the POSITIVE things happiness does for us, it ALSO does positive things for those closest to us… and we owe that to them!

So, figure out WHAT you need to do to increase your happiness – and do it! Your family and friends will benefit, and the world will be just a little brighter.

Prayer: LORD, once again, Your Word shows how all-knowing and wise You are! Help me to find things to read, watch and do that will make me happier and help me to spread that all around me. Amen.