What is there to smile about?

Even on our worst day, there is so much to smile about. We can focus on what’s working or on what’s not working. Some of us, particularly the one typing this blog, have a natural propensity towards negativity but thank God for His Word that transforms us into new creatures.

You may say, “What?” I thought you were the Happy Girl?!?! By faith, yes! and when I’m yielding to the spirit of God on the inside of me, yes! And when I am yielding to my born again spirit inside, yes! But when I get lazy, have an off day, and slip back into my natural, human, flesh-ruled, selfish self, I wonder what there is to smile about.

Don’t look at me so holy or disappointed or judgey lol Maybe you are Miss Positivity but there is some un-health in your natural human nature. How do I know? Because we “all have fallen short of the glory of God”. We all have to deal with this flabby skin we call our Earth Suit. We live in a body, we have a soul (mind, will, and emotions) but we ARE a spirit. When we live dominated by our brilliant or confused or upset or scattered souls (our minds, wills that can’t decide His way or ours, and our emotions that are controlling us instead of us controlling them) or when we live from the place of absolute focus on our bodies wether it be being consumed with fitness and nutrition or the devastatingly lack thereof, instead of living out of our spirits, we will often struggle to find what there is to smile about.

When we are flesh-ruled (mind, emotions, will, body), we are happy one minute and depressed the next. We are at peace and feeling on top of the world and then bam, slammed against the rocks feeling like scum of the earth the next. We are losers when we look around and compare and then from a different angle around the corner filled with pride and like yea, I’m the stuff, and like…what is your problem? Get it together, ya weirdo.

Even just reading that last paragraph is yucky. That is because it’s describing how most of us live day in and day out…yucky. Far beneath the plane on which Jesus came and died for us to live on. He “came so that we can have life more abundantly”, so that we can “die to self” and “humble ourselves and be lifted up”. So that we can understand who we are in Him. When we “renew our minds” with the fact that “perfect love casts out fear “and choose to yield to love instead of she hurt my feelings, fear of loss of that friendship is defeated and replaced with Victory that Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother even if she doesn’t. When we focus on verses like “all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes”, it first makes you want to check up on your love for the Lord and how intentionally and joyfully you are living your life called according to His purposes and not your own, and once you check yourself on those counts, then you can get in faith that He will work it out and you don’t have to. You loosen the reigns and realize He’s got you. Then a smile reappears.

Maybe this is just me but I doubt it. We are all so much alike as different as we all are. We all are “working out our own salvation”. The more we “think on things that are lovely and pure and of good report” the more we will notice all there is to smile about. The more we go to Him with our worry list and turn it into our faith list, “entering His gates with thanksgiving” remembering His faithfulness, the more we will be grateful and the more our hormones will be balanced because of it. Something on the inside working on the outside…oh what a change in my life. That was a children’s church song I loved as a kid and if you know it, I hope it rings in your head the rest of the day.

I hope this blog puts a smile on your face even though it’s a day late. But hey, praise God, I’m not a dollar short today. So I’ll focus on that instead of that I’m a day late for the Happy Monday blog. See, we always have things we wish were different. I wish I had gotten this out yesterday. But due to a hundred excuses, I didn’t and maybe you feel bummed about something you fell short in or that someone did you wrong. I could blame others for why this didn’t go out but it wouldn’t do any good and it’s just better for me to take responsibility and same for you and not even think about it. I did have a slot of time but when I sat down to do it, I had nothing and one thing I’ve determined is to not just write to write. I want it to be actually something of substance so hopefully this is for you today!

So instead of Happy Monday, Happy “Take it from me, Tuesday…there’s plenty to smile about!”

XO,

Adrienne