"A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:13 NLT
Sure. Everyone wants to be a better runner right? Well, according to a new study in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise, becoming a more efficient runner may be as simple as putting a smile on your face. Although it sounds crazy, they said, it works in the lab and for the greatest marathoner in the world, Eliud Kipchoge, who can be seen smiling intermittently throughout most of his races. The most likely explanation is that smiling primes a more relaxed emotional state, in turn reducing sympathetic nervous system activity (which can influence heart rate) and muscle tension, allowing you to run more efficiently. There’s lots more research needed to confirm that idea, but for now, it’s a pretty low-risk intervention to try. Maybe someone will even smile back.
And when it comes to having a smile on our face, Solomon tells us that, "A glad heart makes a happy face" and a "broken heart crushes the spirit." He knew that the heart was the core of a person, and that the condition of it would show on peoples’ faces. You see, when our hearts are filled with the promises of God's Word, we can't help but be "glad" (and smile) knowing that He is always with us, always faithful and always forgiving. But when we take our eyes off Christ, our hearts will be "broken". We will live defeated lives with no hope for a future and our spirits will be crushed and shattered. That would surely make it impossible to smile now, wouldn't it?
But you know what? We don't have to live that way. No one does. God desires a relationship with each one of us and wants to replace every "broken heart" with a "glad" one. He wants to give you and me the greatest reason to smile. The question is... will you let him?
Heavenly Father, thank you for always giving us a reason to smile. When we are tempted to think otherwise, help us to remember your promises and that, no matter what is happening to us or around us, this life is short compared to the joyous and eternal life awaiting us. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Kirk Franklin - I smile
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