Good Cheer
True cheerfulness comes from a heart that is at rest in God and satisfied with His ways.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the importance of maintaining a cheerful heart and spirit, emphasizing that true cheerfulness comes from being at rest in God and satisfied with His ways. She highlights that a murmuring spirit can hinder genuine cheerfulness, as it betrays a lack of contentment and trust in God. Tileston encourages seeking the grace of a cheerful heart, even temper, and brightness of mind through prayer and reliance on God's abundant love and mercy.
Text
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer.
ACTS 27:22
I will be glad and rejoice in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, 0 Thou most High.
PSALMS 9:2
IF you have a murmuring spirit, you cannot have true cheerfulness; it will generally show in your countenance and your voice. Some little fretfulness or restlessness of tone will betray it. Your cheerfulness is forced, it does not spring up freely and healthily out of your heart, which it can only do when that is truly at rest in God; when you are satisfied with His ways, and wishing no change in them. When this is truly your case, then your heart and mind are free, and you can rejoice in spirit.
PRISCILLA MAURICE
Let us seek the grace of a cheerful heart, an even temper, sweetness, gentleness, and brightness of mind, as walking in His light, and by His grace. Let us pray to Him to give us the spirit of ever-abundant, everspringing love, which overpowers and sweeps away the vexations of life by its own richness and strength, and which, above all things, unites us to Him who is the fountain and the centre of all mercy, loving-kindness, and joy.
JOHN HENRY NEWMAN
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Cheerfulness
- The Source of Cheerfulness
- Practicing Cheerfulness
- Seek the grace of a cheerful heart
- Pray for the spirit of abundant love
Key Quotes
“I will be glad and rejoice in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, 0 Thou most High.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Let us seek the grace of a cheerful heart, an even temper, sweetness, gentleness, and brightness of mind, as walking in His light, and by His grace.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Seek the grace of a cheerful heart and pray for the spirit of abundant love.
- Cultivate a heart that is at peace with God and others by resting in Him and being satisfied with His ways.
- Let the spirit of abundant love overcome the vexations of life by its own richness and strength.