WEDNESDAY'S WORD - MERRY - 03/13/19 - Sadell Bradley- New Life Covenant Cincinnati

 

"I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad and to travel for it too!" - William Shakespeare 

It's a shame when a great word like MERRY is relegated to use only once a year. When I googled merry, all I got was Christmas images. The word MERRY means to be cheerful and lively; characterized by festivity and rejoicing. The word cheerful denotes that one is noticeably happy and optimistic, thereby causing happiness by their very nature and appearance. In these times where anxiety, pessimism and cynicism abound, cheerfulness is a much sought after quality. The colloquialism, 'the more the merrier' implies that the more people there are, the better or more enjoyable a situation will be. To 'go on one's merry way' means to carry on with a course of action regardless of the consequences. Wouldn't it be great to be just a little more carefree? 

King Solomon said it best, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." (Prov. 17:22) Simply put, when you are cheerful and full of joy, it brings healing. When you're depressed, and heartbroken, it saps your strength.  I watched episodes of Jerry Seinfeld's show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Not only have I laughed quite a bit at his interviews, but I was also struck by how much these merrymakers enjoy each other's company. They said when they enter rooms of strangers, they search for another comic - someone who understands the importance of jocundity. Merriment was so important that Solomon advised it more than once, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." (Prov. 15:13) You can tell when we're up or down; we wear it on our faces. Like some of you, I grew up in a home where anxiety and joy were opposing forces with the former as the default. So I have to resist being fretful and actually choose gladness daily.   

God promised to turn our mourning into dancing and our sorrow into joy. He gives us the oil of joy in exchange for mourning and the garment of
praise for our heaviness. (Isaiah 61:1-3) Sometimes rebounding requires our participation. Paul instructs us to "Rejoice in the LORD always, and again I say rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4) So, whenever you get down, get up and 'Joy again!' We know how to make ourselves miserable, by ruminating on the negative. Did you know that you can make yourself merry?  Merrymaking is defined as the process of enjoying yourself with others. Process is a series of action steps taken in order to achieve a particular end. When's the last time you made merry? Too often we try to handle our woes alone. Have you considered a good dose of merriment...fun, recreation, or amusement with friends or family as a restorative remedy? It'll do you good!