You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling. Psalm 21:6–7 (NLT)
I once read an interesting study about happiness. Two groups of people were tested: one was told to hold a pencil with their lips and the other was to hold it with their teeth. Both groups were told jokes and were exposed to other humorous content and then were asked to rate how funny the material was.
The group that held the pencil in their lips didn’t find the jokes as funny as the group that held it in their teeth. Why? Holding a pencil in your teeth mimics smiling. According to this study, something as simple as choosing to smile has an impact on how you experience life.
We’ve been on a series over the past number of days covering what I like to call “happiness traps”—ineffective ways people try to create happiness in their lives. Now that we’ve unwired a few misconceptions, I’d like to discuss how you can experience more joy in your life.
Choosing to smile is one simple habit you can develop to help you enjoy life, but there are several other skills we will cover over the next few days. Of course, don’t forget what’s most important: your relationship with your Father God. “Fullness of joy” is found in His presence (Psalm 16:11, NKJV).
Spending time reading the Bible, worshipping or just quietly thinking about God’s goodness is a great way to begin as we learn to build the skills involved in experiencing joy. And don’t forget to smile… God loves you more than you will ever understand!