The light in the eyes [of him whose heart is joyful] rejoices the hearts of others, and good news nourishes the bones. – Proverbs 15:30, Amplified Bible (AMP)

What kind of impact do you have on others when you walk into a room? Do you find people smiling at the sight of you? Or, do you only see looks of tolerance on other people’s faces? If others are joyful when they see you, odds are that they are joyful in response to your joyfulness. If, however, your demeanor is marked by constant frowns, grimaces, or bitterness, people will only put up with you because they have to.

Every Christian ought to be a joy to be around, for every Christian ought to have a joyful heart. Although there are many things that threaten to rob us of our joy, nothing can do so as long as we remember that joy is a choice. We can choose to remember that, no matter how rough life becomes, our names are enrolled in Heaven. We can choose to be content, no matter what state we are in.  We can choose to trust the Holy Spirit to fill us with joy. We can choose to be grateful for all of the wonderful blessings God has bestowed upon us.  Or, we can choose to be a sourpuss, making both ourselves and those around us miserable.

I’ve known people who have chosen bitterness as a way life, and they were no fun to be around. They were also horrible witnesses for Christ. If you want to be an effective witness for Christ, you will need to have a joyful heart. If you don’t, the good news you try to spread won’t be nourishment to anyone’s bones. Instead, it will empty rhetoric to the lost when they see that your beliefs, which are supposed to bring peace and joy, have failed to do so in your life.