{"id":3394,"date":"2016-04-17T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2016-04-17T14:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=3394"},"modified":"2016-05-01T21:02:28","modified_gmt":"2016-05-02T02:02:28","slug":"choose-to-enjoy-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=3394","title":{"rendered":"Choose to Enjoy Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another Year of Choices<\/em><\/p>\n

By Barbara Dahlgren<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Enjoy<\/a><\/p>\n

Christians can be some of the biggest fuddy-duddies around.\u00a0 That may seem like an old-fashioned word, but what would you call a boring, humorless, crabby person with no imagination?\u00a0 The Urban Dictionary says it\u2019s a fuddy-duddy.\u00a0 Is this the kind of image we as Christians portray to others?<\/p>\n

Some Christians don\u2019t seem to be able to smile, laugh, or have a good time.\u00a0 They lack a certain enthusiasm for life.\u00a0 The word enthusiasm is derived from the Greek roots en,\u00a0<\/em>meaning in or within, and theos<\/em> which means God. \u00a0The original meaning was having God within us.\u00a0 Just thinking about God living in us should make us a little enthusiastic. Yet many Christians are afraid to enjoy life.<\/p>\n

It reminds me of the man who had his annual physical check-up and the doctor told him, \u201cThere\u2019s no reason why you can\u2019t live a completely normal life, as long as you don\u2019t enjoy it.\u201d \u00a0We think God says, \u201cThere\u2019s no reason you can\u2019t live a totally committed Christian life, as long as you don\u2019t enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

C.S. Lewis said that most Christians lack “merriment.”<\/p>\n

William Barclay said, \u201cA gloomy Christian is a contradiction in terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy Sunday once said, \u201cThe trouble with Christians is that they have just enough religion to make them miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where does this Christian \u201cdowner\u201d attitude come from?\u00a0 Certainly not from God.\u00a0 We miss a lot by keeping God locked in a box of our preconceived ideas of righteousness.\u00a0 Ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Does God like it when we laugh?\u00a0 I think so… Look at creation: duck-billed platypuses and long-necked giraffes. Way before cartoons, God made Balaam\u2019s donkey speak. Why would God tell us a merry heart is good medicine if he didn\u2019t want us to be merry?\u00a0 (Proverbs 17:22)<\/p>\n

Does Jesus like it when we party?\u00a0 I think so\u2026 Jesus\u2019 first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding party. \u00a0(John 2:1-11) We can debate all day long about whether it was wine or grape juice \u2013 I have my personal opinion \u2013 but the point is it happened at a party and the intent was to keep that party moving. Of course God is not pleased with drunkenness, lewdness, or vulgarity, but shouldn\u2019t we as Christians be able to show the world that people can have a good time without those things?<\/p>\n

Does God enjoy our company?\u00a0 I think so\u2026 Psalm 149:4 says God delights in his people. Delight doesn\u2019t mean tolerate; it means He enjoys us.<\/p>\n

Does God like dancing? I think so\u2026The Bible is full of scriptures of God turning mourning into dancing and people praising God with dance. David danced before the Lord with all his might. (2 Samuel 6:14)<\/p>\n

Does God like it when we shout for joy? I think so\u2026 There are plenty of scriptures that tell us to do that.\u00a0 Just like there are plenty of scriptures that tell us God likes it when we praise, worship, and thank him.<\/p>\n

Does God like it when we celebrate? I think so\u2026 Every time something good happened in the Bible there seemed to be some sort of celebration. \u00a0In a way, each new day is a time for celebration.\u00a0 Psalm 118:24 says, \u201cThis is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.\u201d Well, guess what? Every day is the day the Lord has made. If we wake up breathing, we might want to rejoice!<\/p>\n

Does God want us to enjoy life? I think so\u2026 1 Timothy 6:17 tells us God provides for our enjoyment.<\/p>\n

Consider this\u2026 There will always be people criticizing us for being Christians and actually enjoying life.\u00a0 After all, they criticized Jesus.\u00a0 Matthew 11:19 said that Jesus came eating and drinking. So much so that some said He was a glutton and a drunkard. They were wrong, of course.\u00a0 Did Jesus stop enjoying life because of this criticism?\u00a0 I don\u2019t think so!<\/p>\n

If we aren\u2019t enjoying the Christian life, perhaps we don\u2019t know God well enough.\u00a0 Psalm 16:11 says that in God\u2019s presence there is fullness of joy. \u00a0I can\u2019t help but think that those who live and move and have their being in Christ, will be enjoying life.\u00a0 (Acts 17:28)<\/p>\n

\"Make<\/a><\/p>\n

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Suggestions for practicing this choice\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n