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Good Medicine
Cheerfulness
Homer Montague Roget’s Thesaurus defines cheerfulness as “a condition of supreme well-being and good spirits, beatitude, blessedness, bliss, cheer, felicity, gladness, happiness, joy, joyfulness.” Cheerfulness embodies an attitude of mind that should accompany a true Christian regardless of circumstances. The Scriptures even support a connection between cheerfulness and health: “A cheerful look brings joy to your heart and good news gives health to your body” (Proverbs 15:30, New International Reader’s Version). There is broad consensus among the medical community that cheerfulness has a salutary effect upon the physical and emotional well being of the human species. One example of such reasoning relates to the heart which supplies blood to all parts of the body. If the heart is not healthy, then the body may suffer various aches and pains owing to an irregular supply of blood. Many people so afflicted attempt to regulate their diet and have an exercise regimen to improve their circulation. However, these alone are often not sufficient to make a significant impact upon the diseased condition. It has been suggested that a major cause of heart problems is stress and an overall lack of cheerfulness. When Norman Cousins, a writer and editor of the Saturday Review of Literature, was diagnosed with heart disease, he reasoned that if stress exacerbated the disease, perhaps laughter would ease the pain he so often experienced. Although told he had only a short time to live, he decided to take his treatment into his own hands. He took massive doses of Vitamin C and watched old Marx Brothers films. He wrote: “I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep. When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval.” His 1979 book Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient became a best seller. It also stimulated research on the link between laughter and healing within the medical community. When someone laughs, an oxygenated blood supply flows through the body and improves the strength and quality of the blood. Those who are suffering from an illness can often improve their condition by developing a cheerful attitude. Those not so afflicted may help to prevent disease by bringing external sources of cheer into their lives, if they are not cheerful by nature. The power of positive suggestion is also advocated as an aid to good health and effective parenting. Consider these insightful comments from the pen of Pastor Russell: “If, instead of sunshine, there is rain and a gloomy outlook, it will only make matters worse to think of the day gloomily and to suggest gloomy thoughts to others. Rainy days have their blessings for us as well as for others, and our minds should be quick to note these and to pass them along by suggestion to companions. The mother should anticipate the child’s disappointment by calling its attention to the beautiful rain which God has provided for giving the flowers and trees and grass a drink and a bath to refresh them, that they may be bright and cheerful to us and yield their increase; and provided also for the cattle and for us to drink and bathe and be clean and happy, and praise him and love him and serve him. ... The same method should be adopted in the guidance of the child’s dietary in sickness or health. Never should the child have aches or pains suggested, for the mind will almost certainly fasten upon these and tend to aggravate any weakness or pain, nor should aches and ailments be made the topic of conversation — especially not at the table, where every thought and influence should be cheerful, healthful” (Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 6, pages 550, 551). From a spiritual standpoint, cheerfulness has a direct bearing upon the health of consecrated believers. During his earthly sojourn Christ was the epitome of cheerfulness despite the extremely difficult experiences he endured as he carried out his consecration vows. The master commenced his sacrificial course after presenting himself in baptism in fulfillment of prophecy: “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:7,8). The secret of his success in overcoming adversity was that he cheerfully accepted God’s will as the course to follow, and in every particular, he proved faithful. He ignored the scorn and ignominy heaped upon him by the scribes and Pharisees who opposed him. Cheerfulness does not exist in a vacuum. There needs to be a basis for it and, in Jesus’ case, it was because he had God’s law, plan, and purposes within his heart. These brought him joy as he did his part to fulfill them. He was enthusiastic about rendering service that would be pleasing to God, undoubtedly recalling his pre-human condition of which we are told he was daily his Father’s delight (Proverbs 8:30). Through perfect heart communion with God while in the flesh, Jesus knew his prayers were always heard. What an assurance that must have given him that all was well! What joy must have been his to realize the promised high exaltation to the divine nature as a reward for cheerfully and successfully carrying out his mission to redeem the human family. While still in the flesh, he said: “As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself ” (John 5:26). Believers receive so many favors from God that a failure to maintain an attitude of cheerfulness even during severe trials would be an evidence of living below our privileges and prove detrimental to our spiritual health. A few of these special blessings include justification, spirit begettal, knowledge of the divine plan, discipleship, a transformed mind, prayer access to God, forgiveness, service opportunities, fellowship, and guardian angels. These evidences of the Father’s grace and love should promote cheerfulness and sustain our spiritual health. • Justification enables us to have a standing with God as sons at this time in advance of the world of mankind because we have been covered with the robe of Christ’s righteousness. How precious is the exhilaration stemming from the knowledge that we have been accepted in the Beloved (Romans 8:11,33, 34). • Spirit begettal is an earnest or down payment that, if faithful unto death, we will receive the divine nature and ultimately be in the presence of God beyond the veil. Through the holy spirit’s influence we can appreciate the realities that are hidden from the human family at large. Surely that is cause for rejoicing (Romans 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 2:12,14). • Knowledge of God’s plan assures us that we are able to see through the rent veil and comprehend what marvelous things are in reservation not only for the church but for all mankind. When we contrast this understanding with the sense of despair that engulfs those who are blinded by the adversary, how grateful we should be (John 8:32; Matthew 13:10-17). • The privilege of discipleship to follow in the Master’s footsteps and ultimately live and reign with him as priests and kings was not offered before the Gospel age. This offer will soon cease forever. How ecstatic we should be for the high calling and the opportunity to be a part of the Little Flock (Matthew 16:24; Luke 12:32). • A transformed mind changes us from serving sin and self to comprehending and doing the will of God in our lives. With an increasing appetite for the Scriptures and the application of their principles, we produce fruitage, the character of our Lord Jesus. We also observe it in our brethren, thereby enriching our Christian sojourn and crystallizing our characters (Romans 12:2; Galatians 5:22,23). • Prayer communion with God is a source of comfort that is indescribable. We experience trials and sorrows but these are eased as we are strengthened through God’s spirit and his providential overrulings that give us an inner sense of calm (John 15:7). • The assurance of God’s forgiveness extended towards us removes the discouragement that would otherwise make us downcast, because we know that we fail repeatedly. This blessing is an occasion for continued gratitude for the Father’s mercy which enhances our sense of spiritual well being (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 24:16). • Service opportunities in the Lord’s vineyard provide us with a sense of fulfillment. The measure of our love for God can be gauged by our joy in helping to assist, bless, and comfort others in various ways. The pleasure we attain helping our brethren and from the Father’s approval of our actions is yet another evidence of our spiritual health (1 John 3:16; 4:12). • Fellowship implies our close association with the Father, Christ Jesus, and other members of the brotherhood. As we meditate upon the word of God and converse upon holy things, we can sense the divine presence in our lives and realize that we are never alone in our Christian sojourn. This reality is a source of perpetual encouragement (1 John 1:6,7; Acts 2:42). • Guardian angels are the unseen agents that protect us from the evil that surrounds us. This provision, rightly appreciated, minimizes the spirit of fear that might otherwise overcome us as we walk by faith, seeking to do God’s will. How can we not worship and extol our heavenly Father who is concerned for our every interest (Psalm 34:7; Matthew 18:10)? Undoubtedly, all these blessings were enjoyed by Paul and Silas and helped them be cheerful in Philippi, even though they had been beaten and imprisoned. This occurred after Paul commanded an evil spirit to depart from a young woman who pretended to forecast the future. As a result her masters were no longer able to profit from her supposed ability. “When they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:23-25). Surely their cheerful demeanor under such hardship spoke volumes concerning the high degree of their spiritual health and thus fulfilled the spirit of the admonition “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). James wrote: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4). We can understand why this quality of cheerfulness is so essential to develop as we prepare now for our role in the kingdom to help reconcile mankind back to God. After fallen humanity is awakened from the tomb, it will return with the same state of mind prior to its demise. The assurance to the church, that it will be fully equipped to assist the human family up the highway of holiness and back to perfection, will be a source of joy for each body member beyond the veil as it carries out the work to fulfill God’s eternal purpose for the human family. Throughout the period of judgment in the Millennial reign, the human family will gradually return from the tomb. There will be a great work of education needed to assist them up the highway of holiness to perfection in preparation for their trial during the “little season” when Satan will be allowed to try to deceive the nations again. The kingdom will feature an iron rule, but it will also be a time when justice is tempered with mercy to assist whosoever will, to drink of the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17). Maintaining cheerfulness is an aid to good spiritual health. It is an important aspect of our Christian sojourn if we are to remain faithful to our calling. As we attempt to overcome any tendency towards discouragement, let us be vigilant with regard to our prayer life, claim and repeat the promises of God to all who have a hearing ear, maintain faithfulness in fellowshipping with our brethren, and fulfill our vows of consecration. If we are faithful in all these things, we will have the joy of participating in the ministry of reconciliation to help restore mankind to the perfection lost in Eden. May we be encouraged by the words of the master who assured us that we can be more than conquerors: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
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