What does it take to make you smile?

Is it a movie?
Something your child does?
Something that happened in the past?
Something you read?
An old friend you get together with?

    Chances are, one or all of these situations at some time or another has led you to smile. But the question here is deeper than that. What I mean is this: Does it take a special situation to make you smile, or are you seen as one who “smiles all the time.” Are you “a pleasant person to be around?”

    Now notice, I didn’t ask if you were popular. I asked if you were pleasant! There’s a huge difference. One plays to the crowd looking for attention. The other is someone who displays grace and shares kindness.

    I have known people in my life who are pleasant to be around. Unfortunately, I have also known those who are not. They are the people we try to ignore or avoid.

His unpleasantness hurt no one more than it hurt him!

    I remember a man in the neighborhood where I grew up that we all called “the mean old man.” Everything about him was nasty and mean. He wouldn’t even allow us to play in the creek by his property, even though we weren’t on his side. The poor guy recently died a lonely death as an old man. No one wanted to be around him because of his nasty attitude. His unpleasantness hurt no one more than it hurt him!

    Which type of person do you think you are?

    Don’t you believe that Jesus was very pleasant to be around? Little children flocked to him. I bet he wrestled with them, and tickled them, and just loved being with them. But the same was true of those with leprosy, and those who had gone blind, and those who had demons, and those who had sick children, and those who were forgotten, and those who were short tax collectors, and those who were sinners, and... well, just about everybody, except those who were unpleasant to everybody!

    Galatians 5:22,23 tells about the fruit of the Spirit. Go take a good look at that list! What you find is a pleasant, godly person.

    When you live your life as a Spirit-filled person you will have Jesus come to life in you! (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18)

    Let’s be holy, pleasant people. Not to be popular, but to display the grace and share the kindness of the Savior!

Copyright (c) 2001, Timely Truths Ministries. Used by permission.
Title: "Pleasant People"
Author: Brent Nidiffer and Jamie Shell
Publication Date: May 11, 2001

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