I received an email from a sweet friend last week. She
forwarded a devotion from Holley Gerth entitled "Why
Your Joy is Worth Fighting For Today." You can read it by
clicking on the title in red. As I was reading the devotion, I got an unusual
yet close-to-truth thought. Should Christians come with a warning label? The
words in her post that rattled this question from my brain are "We've all
probably had well-meaning people say to us, "Just be joyful!" like
it's an easy thing. As if the moment we decided to follow Jesus our lives would
be cotton candy happy forever so we should just get with the
program."
I must admit it is difficult to be joyful every day. I don't think we should so easily use "we are human" as an excuse, although we are broken and fallible. I think here's where the injustice lies. Christians (I want to call us Believers) understand other Christians. Folks who don't have their belief rooted in Christ don't understand when we aren't cotton candy happy forever. Therefore, should we come with a warning side effect label?
Some days our moods and what comes from our mouths might cause depression or nausea. We can get so mundane about our salvation, our speech causes drowsiness. We might be overly zealous causing agitation and nervousness. We can even cause confusion. These side effects occur in others not us. We think we are holding up our end of the joyful noise verse when others are wondering if they really want to trust our God with their lives.
Paul said there would be days like this. Romans 8:16-18 tells us "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." There will be suffering if we live for Jesus. There will also be glory. Let's purpose to suffer joyfully with no side effects for others and......
I must admit it is difficult to be joyful every day. I don't think we should so easily use "we are human" as an excuse, although we are broken and fallible. I think here's where the injustice lies. Christians (I want to call us Believers) understand other Christians. Folks who don't have their belief rooted in Christ don't understand when we aren't cotton candy happy forever. Therefore, should we come with a warning side effect label?
Some days our moods and what comes from our mouths might cause depression or nausea. We can get so mundane about our salvation, our speech causes drowsiness. We might be overly zealous causing agitation and nervousness. We can even cause confusion. These side effects occur in others not us. We think we are holding up our end of the joyful noise verse when others are wondering if they really want to trust our God with their lives.
Paul said there would be days like this. Romans 8:16-18 tells us "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." There will be suffering if we live for Jesus. There will also be glory. Let's purpose to suffer joyfully with no side effects for others and......
No warning label required!
Feeling dizzy,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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