Delighted

The Gothic movement (Goth) is probably the last thing to come to your mind when you think about the word delighted. Though it became part of American pop culture in the late 70and early 80, then more mainstream in the late 90 and into today, the original Gothic movement of the late 18th and early 19th century was a literary movement where it’s authors focused on the mysterious, strange, grotesque and desolate. The movement stepped out of the pages of books and into the big screen with horror flicks, into the fashion world with it’s trademark black clothing and cosmetics, and into music first with the punk scene. It later transitioned to a much darker sound. As the movement has transitioned over the last decade sub-cultures of fashion and music have followed including the most popular recent movement called emo. The emo movement, though similar in foundation, expresses itself in a much different way. Emo tends to be much more mainstream as crazy hair and tight jeans have taken the place of the much more socially rejected Black lipstick and make-up of Goth. So, why the history lesson in pop culture movements, you ask? Though most of us girls don’t wear black make-up or don’t have screamo on our iPod, and though most of us guys don’t have unique and edgy hair cuts or even own a pair of tight black jeans, we all have the tendency to be a little Goth (desolate) with our faith. We all tend to be a little emo (introverted) when it comes to sharing who Jesus is.

Paul says in I Thes. 2:8 that he loved the Thessalonians so much that he was delighted to share with them not only the Gospel of God, but his very life as well. The same mission that Paul had to share Christ is alive today. Unfortunately in lieu of delight we now find words like obligated, have to, and supposed to.

It amazes me how quickly my tongue will move to spread gossip but how tight my lips get when there comes an opportunity to share some really Good News. Do you have the same experience?
Now let’s focus on sharing our lives…
Have you ever shared your story? (Testimony is the churchy word) You ever told the story about how the Good News became your Good News
Who are you doing life with? Maybe it is family, teammates, classmates, people you roll with. Are you sharing with them your Life? I mean not just you, your personality, and your stuff. I mean are you sharing with them your Life in Christ? If so, how? Are people able to benefit from the fruit of your life? (Gal 2:22-23)
I guess we can finish where we left off. Are you delighted to share anymore? Maybe you are sharing the truth and your life with people. But maybe it because a sense of necessity and burden. Maybe you have been trying so hard that you are turning off many of the people around you. Maybe you have become emo and introverted because of past rejection. Maybe instead of black make-up and nail polish your heart has become black but no one seems to notice through the mask of the Abercrombie clothes and the All-American smile. You have lost your influence because your motivation has become muddy. Take some time this morning to come back to the place where you share your life and the Gospel out of love. A love that first loved you; a love that was demonstrated; a love that passionately pursues and is always there.