Cause of an epidemic

As I have mentioned earlier our 'best' vehicle just recently got totaled in an accident. This morning I was finally able to get the last of the 'paperwork' done for our insurance company. While I was waiting for the man to return from another part of the building with the check for 'our part' of the settlement, I picked up TIME for the week of Dec.22, 08. In it was a science article titled "The Happiness Effect". Some of you who know me have heard me share about JOY and some of its effects human minds. Just a few blogs ago I shared how that each living cell is surrounded with an 'atmosphere' - an attitude, if you please - and JOY is a 'good attitude.

In the article "The Happiness Effect" scientists reported some 'conclusions' of studies which had been conducted of effects of attitudes on 'others'. In short, when a person is 'happy' (or for an even more intense effect, when a person experiences real JOY) the effect of their happiness has a distinct, and even profound, effect on those around them. One statistic was that the effect a 'happy individual' has on a 'next door neighbor' can be +34% positive. The influence on a friend living in another area can still be +25%. And the positive influence of 'happiness' goes out several relationships distant as well. Yes, there is less effect on the second person and less on the 'third' person removed from the 'happy' one, but the effect goes on nontheless.

The impact of that information, combined with what I have already been learning previously has been changing my mind on the text "The Joy of the Lord is your strength." God is not asking us to 'hide' His JOY and real happiness. Rather, the more we experience God's JOY and share it with others, the more we receive. And the more JOY flowing out through our 'atmosphere' which always surrounds us, the more the Lord can be glorified - revealed for what He is REALLY LIKE.

It was intimated in the article that even as a 'cold' can be contagious, so happiness can be spread. I am smiling as I have been learning about these things and sharing them with you.
SMILE! God loves you! His JOY is YOUR STRENGTH! As you rejoice in Jesus, His JOY flows through you to others, causing an epidemic of Joy.

Real JOY is not based on outward circumstances. God's kind of joy is knowing - experiencing, accepting - that God loves us, we are special to Him, we are the 'apple of His eye', He loves to have us talk to Him and even just to come into His presence.

Human joy is a lot the same. As we experience God's love we can have a similar attitude of JOY towards those around - family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, casual contacts, even those who think they don't like us - and the strength coming from our connection with God will flow through us to others so that they too can experience real joy in their lives, if they will.

What an awesome privilege you and I have right now. We have the opportunity to become part of a 'good' epidemic of happiness, of real JOY.

Smile, God loves you.

Bringer of Peace