Today’s scripture: John 15:9-11 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
When first reading this passage, I recalled a song learned in my youth:
I’m happy, happy, happy, happy;
Happy all the time;
I’m happy, happy, happy happy;
Happy all the time!Since Jesus Christ came in
And saved my life from sin;
I’m happy, happy, happy, happy;
Happy all the time!
As you might guess, I used to believe that there was something wrong with me if I didn’t have a smile plastered on my Christian face 24/7. “See, this passage proves it!” could have been the proof that I (or others I knew at the time) would offer as Exhibit A for Happiness Galore 101.
But, I’ve learned that being a Christian isn’t a Teflon coating against life’s hardships. Hmmm… if only I’d noticed that Jesus’ own life wasn’t always an easy road, maybe I would have saved myself a whole lot of “What’s wrong with me?” worries and self-doubts through the years.
Several years ago, I ran across a quote from the opera singer Beverly Sills: “A happy woman is one who has no cares at all; a cheerful woman is one who has cares but doesn’t let them get her down.”
If we substitute the synonym “joyful” — from today’s passage — for “cheerful” in the above quote, I believe we have a healthy way of viewing this piece of Scripture.
Jesus kept the commands of God (his Father) and lived in God’s love. But he also lived in a world of imperfection, too. He states, though that he possessed joy. He wanted all of his followers to have this same joy, too.
We’re familiar with a dozen famous people who tried to keep Jesus’ commandments: his twelve disciples. All but one of them continued on with the journey; the one who quit the journey later regretted it. I’m not familiar with any of the ones who stayed on with Jesus as saying, “Man, oh man, I hate this gig. I’m gettin’ out of here at the next village!”
I must admit, there are some teachings (commandments, if you prefer the word) of Jesus that are easier than others to try keeping. But, I honestly do have more inner joy in my life as I continue on the Jesus Route, even with life getting in the way.
Thought for the day: Thank you Jesus, for being the supreme example of how to deal with life in an exemplary way.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.