Welcome to Three-Peat Tuesday!
Building from my recent book UNBEATABLE! Seven Pillars of Personal Excellence, each blog will contain three P’s: Pillar, Principle and Practical, all geared towards nourishing you on your personal and spiritual growth journey.
Pillar: A Pure Heart is a Happy Heart
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.”-Proverbs 15:13
Principle: Restoring Purity of Heart
Where did all the smiles go? Have you noticed? Those beaming faces, glistening teeth and glittering eyes are not as commonplace as before. Without a doubt, 2020 has brought trials new and abundant, but I just wonder if those smiles were disappearing even before the pandemic. It all starts on the inside, you see.
There’s no magic bullet when it comes to enduring hardship. It’s one of those things in life that we can’t go around but must go through. Perhaps you’re a young person and life simply is not panning out the way that you planned it. You made sacrifices, put in the academic effort, got your degree or are close to it and are ready to take on the world. Thud! Nothing’s there. Your smile is gone.
Maybe you’re on the more mature side and your career doesn’t seem to be satisfying anymore. You’re just going through the motions and doing the job so that you can pay the bills. When you look in the mirror, your face tells it all. Your smile, too, is gone.
Restoring happy hearts in our homes, workplaces, schools and places of worship is a noble task. You can find a crushed spirit nearby, opposite you, next to you or even in you. An injection of inner joy is desperately needed.
I know of no other solution than to trust in the divine sufficiency, wisdom and sovereignty of God. The One who knows your heart like no other can bring back your smile, not necessarily because of a change in external circumstances, but because of your decision to surrender. A surrendered heart is a happy heart.
Practical: The Uplifted Heart
Deliberately reach out to someone that you know or suspect is discouraged. Lift that person’s heart and spirit in a way that perhaps only you can.
If you were inspired by this blog, please consider sharing it with one other person today. To learn more about these pillars of personal excellence, read UNBEATABLE! which is now available on Amazon in print and as an e-book.
This Post Has 6 Comments
Mr. Marcus, I thank you for taking the time to write this post. I know it may be asking a bit much, but I would have enjoyed a bit more guidance on the topic. I.e. “A surrendered heart is a happy heart” can widely differ in meaning depending on the reader. That said, I will make it my duty to reach out to someone and attempt to put a smile on their face. Thank you for the continued guidance Sir.
Thanks for your question Chad. My perspective on a surrendered heart is one that is at peace because it trusts in God’s divine guidance and will, even when things seem uncertain. Although you don’t know what the future holds, you choose not to worry but to believe that good will be the final outcome. Sometimes the good has to do with our inner growth and character maturity, more than external accomplishments. It takes faith to surrender. I hope this helps some more, Chad.
The perfect injection for these seemingly troubled times. Thanks Tyrone
You’re welcome Larry.
So true, Tyrone
A surrendered heart has a lot to smile about…God’s love, guidance and protection for starters.
Now if our smiles were as infectious as that covid 19, friendship would be a pandemic.
Beautiful Gary.