Choosing Joy

 December 12, 2021

Today’s sermon was taken from Luke 3—the account of the preaching of John the Baptist. His message was as simple as it was harsh: “Repent!” Pastor Joe rightly pointed out that we cannot receive the Good News of salvation until we have accepted the bad news of our sin and need of salvation. Then he asked a question that has been on my mind all day.

“What are you letting rob you of your joy? Whatever it is, you need to repent of it if you are to experience the Good News.” I know God was speaking directly to me through him because immediately I knew what would rob me of my joy if I were not on the lookout for it. Tomorrow, our governor has announced a new mask mandate for the entire state: We must mask up anytime we are indoors or in a public gathering. Having had Covid and the resultant natural immunity that has since protected me from at least one known exposure, I naturally rankle at mandates like this. I have masked up when in the presence of immunocompromised people, and have no problem doing so again tomorrow, but the heavy handed way these things are being handled gets under my skin.

But with our pastor’s urging, I am refusing to let our governor rob me of my joy. I will not like this mandate any more than before, but will not give our governor power over me and my peace of mind. I refuse to surrender my freedom to choose my attitude and my joy. The governor’s bad news will not cancel the Gospel’s Good News, and that is worth my gratitude tonight.