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Smile



                My three year old brother was being a grump and my older sister was talking to him. She said, “Hey, you need to smile sometimes or your life will be miserable.” His reply was simply, “Oh, I didn’t know that.”
                Smile (noun) 1. Pleasant expression 2.Pleasant appearance. 3. Sign of favor
                This is how the definition is listed in the dictionary. The first two are the literal definition of ‘smile.’ The third one is the one I want to focus on. A smile is a sign of favor. Favor in what? For me a smile is a sign that I am in favor in what God is doing in my life. It is an approving attitude to His work. I am certainly not always a happy person. Happiness is depended on circumstances, but Joy is not. Joy is what I want to have all the time.
                James 1:2, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
                Be joyful all the time, but it will not be easy. The early Christians joyfully embraced suffering because they had Jesus. They looked to the reward that God holds for his followers, ultimate joy.
                I don’t just want to be joyful in my heart. I want everyone to see it on my face. I want people to see the favor I have in God working in my life, even when I go over rough patches. 



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