Where is your anchor in the midst of the stormy seas we face in America today? For many, it is their Christian faith. As a believer, if you read the Bible every day, you never know when you’ll find a verse that makes you take notice. One such verse is Psalm 30:5 (ESV): “For his anger lasts but for a moment, and his favor for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
There is plenty for God and people to get mad about during these challenging times. In our op-ed world, one can find many things every day that are just plain wrong. One can get worked up about inflation, racism, the national debt, election fraud, homelessness, open borders, and any number of hot button issues. As columnists we’re good at getting anger to last a heck of a lot longer than a moment. In fact, we all know people who seem perpetually grieved by all that’s wrong with America today.
If anger’s not your thing, weeping sure seems appropriate for some of the decisions coming out of Washington today. As the song goes, some weeks I could cry me a river!
But for all of the anger and weeping conservatives seem to endure, it’s amazing how many people on the street seem clueless about what is even happening. They’re asked, “Who is Kamala Harris?” You hear: “Should I know!” “Is she a singer?” “I’ve heard the name.” For many Americans, no anger or weeping seems even necessary! Everything is fine as long as things are working for them.
As a believer, we are neither to be an obsessed and troubled advocate or a clueless citizen. The Apostle Paul writing to the Romans, asserts, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.” Blessed with a republic and the right to vote, we all ought to care about those we elect into office. If I am to be subject to their authority, we ought to pick wisely.
Yes, as believers, we should seek to be politically informed and exercise our citizenship by voting. We are called to work and pay our fair share of taxes. We should care enough to do our part to influence the political process—demonstrate, knock on doors in support of our candidates, and write our own op-ed columns and letters to the editor.
But as a Christian, never forget where our solid ground comes from—it comes from our faith in God. As the Psalmist notes, “his favor (lasts) for a lifetime” and “Joy comes with the morning.” No matter who is in office in Washington and what is happening in my life, joy is there to claim every morning because of God’s presence in and through all that we face.
Benjamin Franklin had a way of bringing humor to even the most powerful truths. He wrote, "...Parsons, even in his prosperity, always fretting. Potts, in the midst of his poverty, ever laughing. It seems, then, that happiness in this life rather depends on internals than externals...."
Do you know people who are always angry and complaining? I call them “Pit’s People.” They’re always saying, “Today is the pits! My job is the pits! Biden/Trump is the pits! This country is the pits! In fact, you’re the pits!” You avoid them like the plague. But wait a minute, what if that person is you!
Faith should and can change everything…if you let it. In God, we have a rock-solid foundation and a relationship with the Almighty who loves us and knows us by name. We’re blessed by the fruit of the Spirit in and through it all—love, joy, and peace.
That is why I worked with the TOME team in Dallas to create a thirty-one day Christian video devotion series, “Joy Comes with the Morning.” The series focuses on the many faith-filled doors open to us to experience and enhance our joy and deepen our faith.
You can find Christian joy in serving, worshipping, doing daily devotions, reading the Word, a vibrant prayer life, hiking in God’s creation, giving your time and resources, and even in enjoying your ordinary days. The great American evangelist Billy Sunday liked to say, “If you have no joy, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.” It’s time to plug a few leaks and open the floodgates to God’s joy.
Stay informed, read your op-ed columns, do your part to influence others and vote, but never forget that your faith is your solid ground. God promises to gives you joy in the morning, every morning. We are blessed to live in this great country. We can disagree and even demonstrate without being quite so hateful in how we treat each other.
Develop a healthy joy-filled perspective. Take some of your time and invest it in watching your children or grandchildren, attending faith-filled worship, watching the hummingbirds battle over your feeder, or pausing to enjoy a soaring hawk dancing on the wind. Yes, never forget to smile and let joy come with your morning…every day.
Purchase Dr. Paulson’s newly released ”Joy Comes with the Morning” course today! Get ready to enjoy the 31 short, recorded messages on your computer or smart phone. Each message is designed to expand and enhance your joy-filled faith experience whenever you need or want it. Visit tomeapp.com/joy to start bringing more Christian joy to your morning today.