When I was your age, people said that a lot.
What people today call emojis, we called smiley faces, and they always went along with, “Smile, Jesus loves you.”
What a simple thing to say. And maybe people said it without thinking about the power of those four words.
Well today, Superkid, we are going to think about it! Not just the smile part but the reason we should smile—because Jesus loves us!
That is a BIG, BIG, BIG statement. You know just how big?
Jesus gave up His place in heaven with His Father and came to earth to live, and love, and then die on the cross to pay the price for our sin.
Smile, Jesus loves you!
With His own blood, He purchased our peace, safety, healing and well-being.
Smile, Jesus loves you!
He sent the Holy Spirit to help us in every situation, to help us hear Jesus’ voice, to fill us with His love and His presence—so much that people see Him in us!
Smile, Jesus loves you!
He planned a future for you and provided everything you will ever need by giving you His life, His promises, His power, His Word, His Name and His Spirit.
Say it with me now, “Smile, Jesus loves you!”
That has so many things in it to think about, but let’s just look at a few.
BIG STUFF: Nothing you are dealing with can stand up against the love of God, expressed in Jesus. If you are facing something big today, look to Him! He not only has the answer to fix your problem, He will put joy in your heart and you can smile as you go through hard times. However, you have to look to Him first. He won’t force you to trust in Him over the problem, but He is waiting to help you. So give it all to Him and go ahead and smile in faith, knowing that Jesus has got this!
LITTLE STUFF: Sometimes, we let little stuff get to us. This can be one of the trickiest things the devil does to mess people up. Allowing little things to bother us and lead us to anger and frustration, steals our joy and our peace.
If your brother or sister annoys you when they mess with your stuff, it’s easy not to take it to Jesus, because it’s a little thing. But lots of little things can add up to a pile that’s BIG. When we don’t let Jesus help us with the little stuff, then when the big stuff happens, it’s even more difficult to give Him any of it. He WANTS TO HELP!
So, when someone or something bothers you, give it to Him and go ahead and smile in faith, knowing Jesus has got this!
WHAT MY FACE IS SAYING: Think about what is in your smile. Does it mean everything is perfect? No. It means you are trusting Jesus to fix what’s not. I would tell my kids, “If everything has to be perfect for you to be happy, you will be an unhappy person.” When you focus on what you don’t like about your life, friends, school, day or circumstances, you will miss what is good. And people will miss what is good in YOU! You have Jesus, Himself, on the inside of you! When you smile, people see Him. When you frown, whom do they see?
OPEN THE DOOR: I read a verse recently that jumped out at me. In Matthew 23:13, New Living Translation, Jesus was speaking to religious leaders. Instead of seeing that Jesus, the Messiah, had finally come, they just complained and saw problems. Selfishly, they didn’t like it that He was getting the attention of the people, who were listening to Him and being set free. Jesus told them, “You shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.” When we frown, our face tells others we aren’t happy—that we have no hope and no one to turn to. Is that true? NO! In any situation we can smile, not because everything is perfect, but because JESUS LOVES US! He is working things out for us. In a sense, when we smile we let people see the kingdom of heaven (God’s ways and His love) inside us. People need Jesus and His love. Jesus can use your smile to let others see Him.
DON’T BE A FROWNIE FACE! Sure, Superkids, stuff happens sometimes that we don’t like and we frown. But don’t stay in a frown. You can turn to Jesus on purpose. Let Him help you—on purpose. As you practice this, you will begin to smile more. Watch your face. Ask family members to help you if they notice you frowning. I heard my dad say a funny thing the other day. He said, “Is a frown your parking place?” In other words, “Do you frown more than you smile?” The same way Jesus can use your smile to bring joy, the devil can use your frown to bring sadness to others. Have you ever experienced someone frowning at you and you wondered what you had done to make them mad? All kinds of thoughts might go through your head when, in all truth, they were just irritated about something else. Or, maybe they were just expressing boredom or ingratitude through their face. (Ouch, I’ve done that!) So don’t give the devil any space on your face! Instead, give it to Jesus! Jesus LOVES YOU. He lives to take that frown and turn it upside down! And the same way He can do that, He will take your situation, BIG or SMALL, and turn it right-side up! He’s good that way! Sooooooo…
SMILE, SUPERKID! JESUS LOVES YOU! ♥
Kellie Copeland