A “sour-faced Christian” can get so caught up in what’s wrong with everybody else that they forget the grace God has shown them. When we’re always complaining, criticizing, or looking down on people, we can end up giving others a picture of Christianity that doesn’t look much like the joy, grace, and hope we have in Christ.
Our facial expression isn’t the Gospel, and smiling doesn’t make anyone more spiritual. But our attitude does matter. What we carry in our hearts eventually shows up in the way we talk, respond to people, forgive, and treat others. Proverbs 15:13 says, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” What’s happening on the inside often finds its way to the outside.
And let’s be clear, this doesn’t mean Christians have to walk around pretending everything is okay. We all have hard days, disappointments, and seasons when we’re hurting. But there’s a difference between being honest about our struggles and allowing bitterness to become our normal way of living.
It’s worth taking a look at ourselves every now and then and asking, “What does my attitude say about the God I say I follow?” We may not always realize what people are seeing in us.
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