GENTLE REMINDERS

Proverbs 4:5 NIV Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them.

I always enjoy reading helpful wise quotes so I thought I’d pass on some more I came across as we move into our week.

‘Be you.’ Sometimes we wish we were somebody else with their gifts or looks, but God made us the way we are, each one unique for a reason. God doesn’t make mistakes so let’s learn to enjoy all our quirky ways and ask God to use them for His glory.😊

‘Choose kindness.’ One of the best choices we can make each day is to be kind, not just to others but to be kind to ourselves, to not find fault all the time but remember we’re all a work in progress and precious to God.

‘Smile.’ We know one of the gifts of the Spirit is joy but sometimes we forget to unbox it and let it show in our smiles. When we do, it can lift up those we pass by or meet in a shop or workplace. Just smile!😊

‘Take time to make your soul happy.’ God tells us to rest for the simple reason that He didn’t design us to keep going without drawing breath. Let’s give ourselves permission to unwind and do something we enjoy.

‘Don’t overthink.’ This is easier said than done but it’s connected to the verse, ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in all your prayers make your requests known to God with thanksgiving.’ Lord help us do that!😊

‘Enjoy life.’ When life goes through tough seasons sometimes we have to stop and count our blessings and ask God to help us have a new perspective so we can enjoy the life He gives us, the little joys.

‘Collect beautiful moments.’ Have you had anything happen that made you smile, or lifted your spirits, or made you glad? Why not write it down and put it in a jar to open up at the end of the month to remind yourself of those beautiful moments. They’re so easily forgotten.😊

‘Good things take time.’ Next time we feel frustration creeping in because the thing we’re waiting for is taking longer than we thought, remember in Ecclesiastes it said everything happens in God’s timing and just rest in that.

‘Enjoy a mug of hot chocolate.’ Sometimes we just need some gentle reminders, and if any have struck a cord with us maybe we could find time today to enjoy a mug of hot chocolate. As we sit with our hands around a hot mug, let’s breathe in the lovely aroma and remember most of all God loves us and Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and find rest for our souls. Enjoy a few minutes with the Lord to unwind and thank Him for all His goodness and blessings in our lives.😊 Amen.

SMILING MAKES ME THIN

1 Thessalonians 5:16 AMPC Be happy (in your faith) and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);

I saw this sign and it made me chuckle “Smiling makes me thin!” I think anyone who has tried to lose weight at any time would wish that statement was true, and there would be a lot of smiling people going around!😊

But we all know smiling helps us physically as well as emotionally, and our verse encourages us today to ‘always be glad hearted’. But how do we do that when things come against us or we’re sad about something?

Being glad hearted or rejoicing doesn’t depend on our outward circumstances being wonderful, but it’s an inner peace and contentment. It’s an inside job of having joy in our spirit despite what’s going on around us.

Every one of us who knows Jesus as Lord has His Spirit on the inside of us and He puts His joy, His peace and love within us when He comes. We can then choose to tap into those things when the pressure is on us to be miserable or depressed. Our verse reminds us to be happy in our faith and that’s because it’s our faith that overcomes the world, and whatever seeks to pull us down. (1 John 5:4). 

If we take our eyes off Jesus and all He has done for us we can find ourselves sliding down a slippery slope of despair but when we remember we are still a deeply loved child of God, forgiven and chosen by Him to be His special treasure, then we will be able to still rejoice and always be glad hearted because those truths have not changed one bit and they will last forever, through every up or down.

So next time something tries to steal our smile, let’s remember to tap into our inner joy and all that God has done for us in Jesus, and even if our circumstances are difficult or they haven’t changed, let’s choose to give Him thanks with a grateful, glad heart for all the blessings we do have.😊 Amen.

Have a blessed weekend, a glad heart, and keep smiling.x😊

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash