Good Saturday morning! I have been out searching and destroying sticker weeds in my yard this morning. If I don't hunt them out there, the cat will help out by carrying them into the house in her fur. I have a choice in the matter, but neither option is all that appealing to me. It is interesting though how discouragement plays into this effort. If I get down and let the yard go for some weeks, I will have a large crop of weeds. Out here weeds are the most common plant form. The wild grasses can keep them down, but the grass from the east, bluegrass and others, does not do so well against the weeds without a lot of help. Grass yards in this area take a lot of work; raising weeds takes no effort at all. There is a yard at the end of the street that has never been planted to grass; they simply mow the weeds every week or so. It takes no water, but it looks awful.
Everything in this world breaks down; slowly or quickly, the creations of man and the stain of sin on this world cause all we see to wear out, break down, or decay. Without constant upkeep our minds and bodies go to pieces. This is where that joy that Christ gives us helps out. It is hard to be encouraged without that joy. Whether the encouragement comes from the Holy Spirit inside us or from another joyous Christian, that joy gives us the strength to carry on. It is difficult to find anything encouraging in despair! Without joy we are much less likely to exercise, eat right, clean our house (!), go to school, work, or love and encourage each other. Many studies have shown the effects of positive thinking or optimism on illnesses and overall physical health. I would submit that joy is at the root of this positive thinking and optimism. What does the world have to be optimistic about if not Christ? The only substitute is an ignorant kind of bliss that comes from hoping this life is all there is.
That ignorance can be tough to overcome. The world does not like to have its ignorance pricked, and Satan will fight will all of his arsenal to keep the world ignorant of Christ and his wonderful Good News. We already know the Good News, but many do not or are trying so very hard to ignore it. Use your own particular talents to let them know the Good News. Write, speak, visit, invite someone over, help out, or pray, whatever or wherever your talent lies, use it to spread that Good News.
God's love be with you this fine weekend!
Bucky
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