Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.Philemon 1:7
The scripture above was in Paul and Timothy’s letter from prison to Philemon, a leader of the Colossian Church. In the letter, Paul talks about how Philemon has given him joy.
It might not seem like much but it is a blessing to be able to bring joy and happiness to others. And I’m not just talking about our friends and family but also to everyone we encounter. So make it a habit to spread joy.
The truth is, most people we encounter are fighting a silent battle that they might not be able to share, so it is best to be nice to people for no reason and be a source of joy and happiness in their life.
Usually, people tend to be nicer to you after they hear your story. They suddenly start treating you better and try to make your life better. But that shouldn’t be the case.
You don’t have to know what someone is going through before you treat them better.
Also, people are a lot nicer during this time of the year. Around Christmastime, we treat each other better, forgive easily and smile more often. This helps to spread joy and happiness and make the season a lot more beautiful.
But what if we didn’t wait until Christmas to be nicer to others? What if we didn’t wait until Christmas to forgive others? What if we didn’t wait to hear people’s stories before we treat them better? What if we spread joy throughout the year?
Wouldn’t that make life a lot better and more beautiful throughout the year?
Why spread joy?
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
The Bible tells us in Thessalonians to rejoice always because it is God’s will for us. God want’s us to be happy. He wants us to have a joyful heart all the time.
And the thing about happiness is that, it is very contagious, when you are happy, it makes the people around you happy.
When you are happy, it shows in your actions, you smile more, you sing, you treat others right, and that makes others happy too.
So imagine you are happy and you spread this joy to others who in turn spread it to more people and the cycle continues. Eventually, everyone will be happy and smiling. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
So how do you spread joy?
1. Be kind to yourself
Really, if you want to be able to spread joy, it starts with you. It will be hard to make others happy if you are not in a cheerful mood. So if you want to be able to spread joy, then you need to start with yourself.
Be nice to yourself. Treat yourself better. Make yourself happy. When you are happy, it is easier to be nice to others and make them happy too.
When you are in a cheerful mood, you smile, you are more generous, you sing, you treat others better and all these help to spread joy.
2. Practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude makes you a more positive person. When you practice gratitude, it makes you think about all the good things in your life that you are grateful for.
This makes you more happier and when you are happy, it is easier to spread joy and kindness around you.
Also, expressing gratitude towards others makes them happy. So if someone did something nice for you, let them know that their actions are very much appreciated.
3. Just smile
The easiest way to spread joy is to smile. Just smile at someone and they will instantly smile back at you. It doesn’t matter if it is a stranger, they will smile too.
So try smiling at people more often, especially people who look sad. Smile at them and give them a reason to smile too.
4. Greet others
Greet people you meet. It doesn’t take much time to say hi or hello to someone. But greeting someone makes them smile, especially if you take it a step further and ask how they are doing.
5. Be kind to people
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.Proverbs 19:17
Be kind to people for no reason. Don’t wait to hear someone’s story before you do something nice for them. Make random acts of kindness a habit. Do something nice for someone today.
6. Say nice things to others
Mind your words when speaking to others. Let the things you say to them be things that lift their spirit and make them happy.
How do people feel after they encounter you? Do they feel happier or they get sad after talking to you?
The things you say to others can have a very big impact on their mood and even their life as a whole. So make sure to say nice to people.
Compliment them. Everyone loves compliments. It makes them know that their efforts are noticed.
7. Be thoughtful and compassionate
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Ephesians 4:32
When having a conversation with others, be thoughtful and compassionate. Give them all your attention and let them know you are interested in what they are saying.
When you do this it makes it easier for the person to open up to you and you are also able to understand them better. Don’t listen with the intent to judge or condemn. Listen to understand.
Other ways to spread joy
- Donate
- Volunteer
- Teach a skill for free
- Give up your seat on a crowded bus to someone who really needs it
- Leave a positive note on a social media post
- Leave a positive review of a shop or product online
- Hold the door for someone
- Tell someone they look beautiful
- Help your co-worker who is swamped with work
- Do some yardwork for your elderly neighbor