Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.
Psalm 100:2 (NLT)
It’s been a few years. But a certain feline gained celebrity status just because of the way he looked. It wasn’t that he was a beautify Persian, or a cute and cuddly Ragdoll kitty. Nope. It was because he looked like he was ticked off at the world no matter what time of day it was. He has been appropriately named, “Grumpy Cat.” (You can check out what he looks like here, https://goo.gl/E7AWnJ) He has a permanent frown on his face. His eyes are narrowed, like he’s judging your soul. Grumpy Cat looks like the world is irritating him.
The sad reality is that there are many “Grumpy Cat” Christians. Everything they do seems to reflect their displeasure with something. In the church services, their arms are folded, a scowl is on their face, their stare of irritation is evident. Maybe they don’t like the song selection, or the pastor keeps on preaching about the need to reach the world for Jesus. Maybe the bulletin said that church was supposed to get out at 12:15, yet it’s 12:17 with no end in sight. Maybe someone sat in their favorite pew or chair. Maybe they’re just bitter that they were made to be there by their significant other, parent, or staff member. Either way, Grumpy Christians can be found in churches across the land.
Then, of course, outside of church, Grumpy Christians continue their grumpy ways. They complain about the state of the church online or to their friend groups. They voice their displeasure about other members of the body of Christ. They judge others as unworthy of their time, talent, treasure, or testimony. In fact, they just wish the needy would go away, move somewhere else so they don’t bother anyone.
However, Christians aren’t supposed to be grumpy. As the psalmist put it, “Worship the Lord with gladness.” Perhaps we view worship as a Bible study class or church service. However, worship, as it’s described in the Bible, is a lifestyle, not an event. In other words, everything we do each day should be an act of worship. The question is: Who are we worshipping? If we’re the constant Grumpy Christian, then we aren’t worshipping God. We’re behaving like our enemy.
So, today, and every moment, worship God with gladness. Let others see the joy of your faith. Help others to find peace in their Savior. Represent the Kingdom of God as it should be.
ChadReisig.org 