This letter is from November of 2009, written while we taught in Honduras for the year at Moriah School, La Esperanza, Honduras.

I see it every day, here in Honduras and in the United States; one of the saddest sights known to man: the joyless Christian. Sometimes they are hard to spot since they look and act like most people. They wear a determined look, except perhaps on Sunday, and they gallop more than walk, determined to let nothing stand in the way of their next appointment. They look distant, since they are thinking about the many things left to do in the day, and remain immune to such trivial things as pleasant breezes and sunlight dancing on wildflowers. Their world is more a monochromatic experience in the shades of gray. To elicit a smile from them one must perform unheard of acrobatics and trickery. Like a Ferrari without any gas, their life has the potential for a passionate explosion of creativity and abundance, but they lack the will.

Sometimes they are easier to spot, because they open their months. “I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news,” is a common line, although they seem to carry it with them like a valued treasure. “I’m a realist,” they might boast, “Things just aren’t like that in the world.” Not with you around, one might add. Have you met them, this sad breed of a Christian? Maybe you are one, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. We all have our problems. What is it that makes these supposed Christians so sad and dawg gone unhappy? I believe it all revolves around our view of God. If my vision of the Most High is immense, if I believe, truly believe that He can do all things, than like the apostle I can confidently say, “If God is for me, who can be against me?” My God becomes bigger than all the problems of life, and I see him as the sole power and authority in the world. And greater still, when we know God intimately, not only do we understand He is all-powerful, but spectacularly He is also GOOD! We can trust Him to do all things through His power and to do all things for our good through His goodness.

Yet if my vision of God is small, if I say He is all-powerful but act like He can’t balance a checkbook, or find a job better than CareerBuilder, I will be continually concerned with the problems of today and fail to realize the blessings God has already given each of us. If I don’t truly believe He is good, than I will constantly worry about how things will work out. I will seek to control my life and cling tightly to things and status in this world. I may be more concerned with losing stuff than with gaining Christ. And little by little the joy of a forgiven life will be sacrificed on the altar of unbelief. How can I enjoy the sunrise if I fear the day? How can I take pleasure from a sunset if the night brings thieves? How can I enjoy the sweet embrace of a loving Savior if my arms and my hands are to busy desperately clutching at the vestiges of my old life? Let us put our precious things into the arms of the One that can truly care for them. Let us know, and then let us let that knowledge shape our lives, that our God is infinitely greater than what we imagine, and eternally better than how we define “good”. Let’s us give up from things that we hold and take time today to enjoy the joy of a single day. Leave the rest up to God. I think He can handle it.