Do you still hear yourself laugh?
There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven... A time to cry and a time to laugh. —Eccl. 3:1-4
Too many Christians take themselves way too seriously. I know there's no time for the laughter of compromise. Coarse jesting, crude joking—that stuffs out! We want to be creative, but we don't win people to Christ with smut or being like the world (see Eph. 5:4).
It's ok to poke fun at yourself, and be self-abasing ..minus the foolish self-deprecation on occasion. Sure some Christians are silly and goofy all the time and that kind of stuff wears on people's nerves. But too many Christians are mostly sullen, inverted, and morose these days. They're against too much—yup, all up in arms against stuff that's not even sin or error. The world sees them as prudishly negative sour bigots who look down on others. But we need to joyously communicate what we're for …not in some condemning hateful way.
Maybe it's time for a break to go look in the mirror! I do that and I'm convinced that God's not uptight. I think He has a huge sense of humor.
God has even blessed me with a couple friends like that, who role with the blows that life deals out... and they role-model Christ's joy for me consistently. They take life as it comes in an upbeat winsome fashion. They stay sweet when things go rancid. Sometimes I cause them some small blows too when things get too mundane. Not too bad, but they seem to like it when I pick on them… and they also pick on me right back.
None of my friends enjoy how I sing though ..like a skilled, animated, agile rock-star that's movin' about is how I can see it—yep, got it going on and they quickly get movin' on away from me. My cat even left the room. Of course I would never want to say their names here, but.. hey guys; cheer up Russ, Bill, and Dave.. we all can't dance so serious like a pro or be all buff, handsome and gifted. They only try to hurt my feelings.(1)
But Christians can get down too, and we certainly don't need to fake it during times like that (that's when we really need intercede to lift them up). I have more than one dear friend who has lost their love one lately and man, does that hurt. Please pray for the Laurie family and their ministry; they just recently lost a son.
But it seems like other saints won't let go of their valued depression session even though they've really lost nothing of value. Do they equate "holy" to being some poor-old-me pitiful beat-down?
Sure, we've got to be sensitive around some who are weak and weeping. We need to be cryin' real crocodile tears with those who are crying. But sometimes I talk straight with those who cry too much ..ya know, for ooos and awws and a show.
Jesus was R-E-A-L as could be--still is--and I can't see where He ever flt sorry for Himself or recruited sympathy. Things weren't always peachy, but Christ was and is the perfect man—a man's man. He was described as "a man of sorrows," intimately acquainted with grief (read Isaiah 53:3).
Wanna chuckle, smile and snicker more and know that its right? Know Christ and live full-bore for Him!