As I continue my “My Personal Top 10 Faith Lessons” that I started last week, here is Lesson #9.
You’ve got to be able to laugh at
yourself. I’m convinced that what Paul
intended to say in Galatians 5:22-23 was this: “…the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control, laughter and the ability to not take yourself too seriously no
matter what your age or status in life. There is no law against such
things.”
Have you ever been around church members or others who
call themselves Christians that are just gloomy people? Nothing ever seems to make them happy,
nothing ever seems to fill their hearts with joy. Maybe those people have just been in the
churches I been a part of and many that I have visited, but I don’t think that’s
the case. And sadly, I think that's the way young adults and those who have been "turned off" by church see us.
I may lose all my friends at Shady Grove with the
sharing of this personal part of my faith journey, but here goes. I serve as a
song leader at my church, and I threaten at times to just stop the congregation
in the middle of singing a hymn because it looks so painful. I can’t stand to look out on a group singing wonderful
hymns like “Victory in Jesus” and “Every Time I Feel the Spirit” when everybody
looks like knowing Jesus has made no difference in their lives. If you know
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” you know that that the last verse says:
“Ain’t
but one train on this track, runs to heaven and right back.
Every
time I feel the Spirit, moving in my heart, I will pray.
Yes,
every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray.”
I told one of our church musicians after our
congregation sang this song one Sunday that if everybody on the train was
filled with as little spirit as that group, I was not getting on the train to
heaven with them. I want to go with a gathering of folks that laughs, and sings with joy, and wants everyone to know where they are headed. Now, I expect you to all smile and look happy the next time
you sing “Every Time I Feel the Spirit” or any of our other joyous hymns and choruses - especially if you're singing them this week for Pentecost! (And, if you’re
a member of my family at Shady Grove, I’m scheduled to be song leader next on
Sunday, June 15th – 9:30 and 11:00 AM services. Look like following Jesus is a good thing or I may decide to stop the singing all together!! Someday I am going to have to make good on my threat.)
If we are not careful, we can get so caught up at
times in the “work” of church that we forget the joy of worship, study, fellowship,
and serving. God wants us to laugh, to
play, to share the love of Christ with all we meet. God wants us to not take ourselves too seriously, to spread the good news of Jesus, to look like we really want to be faithful disciples. Who is going to come to your church when the
invitation is shared by someone who isn’t excited about following our Savior? I
know Paul had to leave laughter out of the list of fruit of the Spirit purely by
accident….
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