Character Lesson: Nehemiah's Good Attitude

I did a post last year on Nehemiah and talked about his perseverance. Our Sunday school teacher did a lesson on it a couple weeks ago and another character trait that jumped out at me was Nehemiah's good attitude. Nehemiah 2: 1-2a says, "In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

The king noticed Nehemiah's sadness only because it was not a regular occurrence. The king was Nehemiah's boss and leader, and Nehemiah made it a point to always look happy around the king.

This thought was very convicting to me. I know that there are days when I do not go to school or even church with a happy look on my face. But Nehemiah chose to do this and was used in great ways by God.

Smiling is such a little thing, but it can make a big difference. Because Nehemiah chose to smile whenever he could, the king noticed his sadness and he was able to rebuild his city. When you choose to smile, you could brighten someone else's day. Smile at the cashier at the grocery store, or smile at your teacher, or smile at someone who looks sad and could use a friend.

You may not even know of the difference you made, but trust me, it will make a difference.

:)