The Bible Column - A Merry Heart

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Proverbs 15:13
A gloomy Christian is an abnormal Christian. Cheerfulness should characterize the walk of every believer. This cheerfulness is a condition of peace, joy, and inner satisfaction. It stems from the inside and is not affected by the outside circumstances alone. A long face is not a good advertisement for our Saviour.
The story is told of Johnny, who in coming home from Uncle Tom’s farm expressed that he had seen some “Christian cows”. When asked what he meant, Johnny explained that since they had “long faces” they must be “Christian cows”. Rather, the Apostle Paul writes that we are to show mercy with cheerfulness. Romans 12:8
In the Scripture above we learn the key to a cheerful countenance. It is to have a merry heart. The key to having a merry heart is to have a pure heart. And, the key to having a pure heart is to have a heart that is right with God in every respect. In this old world, there are many disappointing things that come along. The admonition of our Lord Jesus to his disciples was, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Our hearts must be trusting the Saviour so that our countenance can be cheerful!