Ah but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don’t cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won’t you please tell the man I didn’t kill anyone
No I’m just tryin’ to have me some fun
Well done, hot dog bun, my sister’s a nun
(Song lyrics by the late and great John Prine)
What makes you smile? What means have you turned to throughout your life to generate a smile? How often have you pursued an illegal smile, and what has this pursuit cost you? Let’s face it, life can be challenging, and the world screams that we deserve to smile at all costs. They don’t call it “Happy Hour” for no reason, and who doesn’t want to be happy for an hour, right?
What defines illegal? Well, of course, it’s unlawful substances, e.g., street drugs, but it’s more than that; it’s pursuing our God-given desires past their intended purpose and doing so at any cost. Worldly sources like king alcohol, drugs (including prescription medication), sex, food, power, glory, fitness, prestige, money, etc., become the typical pathways we pursue to produce a worldly smile. We waste a lot of time and money attempting to smile. What’s even more disappointing is that the worldly smile we crave is only temporal, then tomorrow comes, and the vicious cycle starts all over. Many hearts are broken, bridges destroyed, relationships ruined, opportunities squandered, and lives burnt to the ground over illegal smiles.
God created us to enjoy Him, along with each other and all of God’s creation. God purposely put spiritual principles and order in place to help us love Him and love our neighbor as ourselves. Behind every spiritual principle, there is a promise and a divine smile to be experienced. Supernatural smiles develop from practicing spiritual principles in all of our affairs and not from ingesting foreign substances, abusing our God-given desires and instincts, or attempting to be the master of our own lives.
If you want to experience a heavenly smile, commit to living a God-centered life regardless of your present circumstances. Receiving and embracing God’s love is the only genuine way to smile. Smiles are contagious, and the human smile is a universal language. You can’t transmit something you haven’t got, so if you possess an illegal smile, the world can tell. It’s time to quit pursuing worldly smiles and start learning to smile supernaturally. Give it a shot today, practice smiling at everyone you see today and watch what happens to their Spirit and yours. What a blessing it is to you and countless others when you learn to smile from deep within your soul.
God of love and joy. You created humans with the capacity to smile when rightly related to You. Would You please remove any defects of character that prevent me from knowing You and experiencing Your joy in my soul? Remove my desire for worldly pleasure, and grant me the willingness and humility to embrace my God-given desires for pleasure on Your terms and not mine. In Your Spirit and Name, I pray these things. May Your will not mine always materialize, now and forever. Amen.
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