It’s true that celebrations like Christmas can actually accentuate a person’s loneliness and make them sadder. For instance, if you have no family to be with at Christmas, you may not feel so merry. If you can’t make it to your family’s celebration, it may not be merry. If your family is separated by more than miles—by divorce or death—or if your celebration of Christmas is not loving and warm, your Christmas may not be so merry. If you have financial difficulties, Christmas may not seem merry this year.
So, at a time when everyone is proclaiming that this is a “merry” time of year—a time for all to be happy and jovial—you may be acutely and painfully reminded that your circumstances are not conducive for a Merry Christmas.
How can you be merry this Christmas, regardless of the circumstances? How can you have a merry Christmas in spite of your problems and trials, your hardships and tough times?
That’s what I want to talk about—how to have a merry heart for a merry Christmas. And of course, it works for any other time of the year as well. We usually hear a message or a sermon at this time of year about keeping the Christmas spirit all year long. Well, wouldn’t it be something if Christians kept a merry heart all year long. A heart overflowing with thankfulness, joy, caring, compassion and love.
If you have a merry heart, you will have a merry Christmas. Circumstances won’t affect it; people can’t rob you of joy if your heart is merry. It is possible as believers to be merry even when the circumstances are not good. Here is the secret to a merry heart.
Proverbs 11:25: He (or she) who refreshes others will himself be refreshed!
The Bible is packed full of promises for people who give of themselves to others. You can have a merry heart by helping others have a merry heart. And how can you do that?
SMILE! This is so simple, yet so powerful. Proverbs 15:30 says “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart…” There’s no one who can say that they cannot give a cheerful look. You can give a smile to people, regardless of who they are, who you are, or how you feel.
If you have never developed the habit of smiling, you can change. Find ways to remind yourself to smile at other people. Pray about it each day. “Lord, give me a cheerful look, so that I can bring joy to the hearts of others.” Put a smile sign on your desk, over your sink, on your screen saver. Smiling doesn’t cost a penny, doesn’t take any of your time. Nothing could be easier to do.
I have learned that my natural look is evidently not a happy look. When I’m concentrating on something, evidently I look as though I’m worried or upset. It used to make me angry that people would draw those conclusions about me. I thought they were wrong for jumping to conclusions. However, I now realize it’s my job to keep a joyful look on my face. I’ve got a bad habit to break.
Remember, a cheerful look brings joy to the heart. It brings joy to the heart of those who look at you. And guess what, it brings joy to your own heart. You get some good endorphins going in your head when you smile, and that will pick you up. If you refresh others with a smile, you will refresh yourself as well. So, give the gift of a smile today. You’ll be surprised at how effective it is.
A second way to have a merry heart is to choose words that are cheerful. Proverbs 16:24 says “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Did you ever realize that pleasant words from you can really bring healing to other people—even physical healing to their bones? It’s so easy for us to get caught up in the negative, complaining atmosphere that is usually prevalent in our working worlds. If you want to have a merry heart, start concentrating on having pleasant words.
What if—just what if—we started flooding our worlds with pleasant words? What if our co-workers heard our pleasant words, regardless of how things are on the job? What if our children heard pleasant words, even when we’re tired or irritated? What if our family or mates heard pleasant words from us, even when they’re dishing out unpleasant ones? What do you think would happen?
A friend was telling me how her teenage son had taught her the power of pleasant words. She would come home from work, focused on getting dinner on the table for her three boys, making sure they did their homework, getting the house in good condition, etc., and without realizing it, she would walk in the door with harsh words of instruction and criticism for the boys. Finally one of her boys said, “Mom, you always are in such a bad mood when you get home.” And this brought on a conversation which caused my friend to realize that in trying to be a good mom, she was instead coming across as harsh and demanding. Her motives were good but her choice of words and tone of voice were not.
We need to say pleasant words to ourselves, too. Tell yourself that your hair looks nice, instead of always saying, “I look awful today.” Tell yourself that you’re a very special person to God, instead of saying you’re a failure. Those pleasant words will be sweet to your own soul and they will begin a healing process in your spirit.
Want to have a merry heart for a merry Christmas? Use pleasant words all day today. It will cheer you up and everyone around you.
Another sure way to have a merry heart is to have a generous spirit. Keep your ears and eyes open for ways to give gifts—to people that don’t expect it, people not on your list, people who won’t give you a gift in return.
I remember when my hairdresser mentioned that she didn’t have a Bible to read. I also knew she had a little boy. Immediately I thought: “I should buy her a Bible and give her a Bible story book for her son.” Obviously God had her say that to me for a purpose, and the purpose was that I could supply that need.
A friend of mine was prompted by God to give a gift to a woman she worked for—a woman who had been most unkind to her as well as to everyone else. But at God’s prompting she gave her a gift, with a note, and this kind act of generosity changed that situation dramatically and gave Beth an opportunity to witness.
Proverbs 18:16 tells us that “A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.” Again Proverbs 21:14 tells us that “A gift given in secret soothes anger…”
The Bible is full of promises for people who are generous—people who will give of their resources and their time to others. Proverbs 22:9 says that “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”
And Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8b). Think of how freely he has given us his grace and mercy. Think of how lavishly he gives us his love and patience and kindness. If you have received freely from him, in great abundance without strings attached, can you give in a similar free spirit, asking for nothing in return?
Give something away this Christmas season. Give something that you hadn’t planned to give. Give to someone you don’t have to give to. You will create a merry heart, if you do. A merry heart for yourself and for the person to whom you give.
But I imagine that some of you may be wishing this season would end quickly, because you don’t feel so merry. What is lacking in your life today that hinders you from having a merry Christmas? Is it love—love from a special man or woman? Is it money—not enough to go around? Is it friendships—no really close friends in your life? Is it healing—healing from past hurts and circumstances? Is it physical—lack of good health?
Whatever it is that’s missing in your life, determine to give that very thing away. In order to reap a harvest, a farmer must sacrifice a little of his crop for seed in order to produce a much larger crop. Jesus told us that we reap what we sow. That principle holds true through all of life. And remember, you reap more than you sow, and you reap in a different season than you sow.
What do you need today? Sow it. Give sacrificially—to the point that you feel it. Give time you don’t have to give. Give love you don’t even know you have. Give pleasant words you didn’t know you could say. Give a cheerful look even if you don’t feel cheerful. Sow, sow, sow what you need! That is what you’ll reap.
When we feel needy, our usual reaction is to expect our needs to be met before we can give anything to others. We’re expecting others to meet our needs. But if we would practice this principle of sowing and reaping, and give to others what we need most, we’d discover that by giving it away, it comes back to us in greater measure.
What will happen to you when you develop this merry heart? Proverbs 17:22 says “A merry heart does good like a medicine.” Your merry heart will begin a healing process in you. Proverbs 15:15 says “…the cheerful heart has a continual feast.” You won’t be lacking the things you need.
So, I pray for each of you a truly Merry Christmas, one that begins inside of you because of Jesus and what he’s done for you. Then you’ll be able to have a merry day not only on Christmas, but throughout the year.
