| JANUARY 4, 2026 -- A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. Proverbs 15:13
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22
While you strive to make labor honorable, exert yourself to make it pleasant and cheerful for all around you. [Overseer’s charge in the 3rd degree of the Patrons of Husbandry]
As people of faith we are instructed to be cheerful, in work, in giving, and in almost all of our interactions with our fellow human beings and with the world. Being cheerful, in fact, follows as a corollary from the holy law to “love your neighbor as yourself”, or the golden rule to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. I know of very few people who enjoy being around other people who are constantly grumpy or complaining or “in a bad mood”. And I cannot imagine people who enjoy living with themselves if they themselves are constantly “in a bad mood”. Not only the bible but also the medical community stress the importance of having a “merry heart” in terms of one’s overall physical and mental health. On average, cheerful people live longer, recover more quickly from illnesses, and are more productive in their everyday lives.
Note that the two proverbs quoted above also talk about the negative consequences of not being cheerful: the spirit is crushed and the “bones” are dried. The meaning is that profound emotional or spiritual despair can negatively affect a person’s overall health and vitality. One is more likely to fall prey to physical and/or mental illness, and take much longer to recover from them. One may also become a burden to others as a result.
Outside the realm of religion, society in general urges us to be happy and cheerful. Think of all the books and songs which urge us in that direction, such as “Let a smile be your umbrella” and “Put on a happy face”. There is another thing that many of us have discovered which is even if you are not feeling cheerful the mere act of pretending you are cheerful quite often is enough to make us forget that we are not so.
In summary, why be cheerful? Cheerfulness makes things bearable, makes jobs easier, helps those around you relax, and makes challenges easier to bear with less stress.
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