Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Attitude”
Our Bible verse for today: “A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Have a little fun”
“If you’re not having fun you’re doing something wrong.” – So said the great comedian Groucho Marx. He didn’t explain himself after he said it so I guess we’re all free to read into that whatever we want but one thing is clear, this man who made his living by making other people laugh seemed to think that life ought to be fun. And I agree with him.
Some people wear life like a heavy old coat. They walk around with shoulders slumped, head down, hound dog look on their face, and even if they don’t actually say it their message is “Woe is me! You have no idea how hard it is to be me!”
Well, quoting Drill Sergeant Hulka to Francis Sawyer in the movie “Meatballs”, “Lighten up Francis!” (The scene was the first day in Army boot camp. The Drill Sergeant gathered the new recruits in a circle in the barracks and had them introduce themselves. Francis was a glum and scowling and angry young man. He introduced himself by saying, “My name is Francis Sawyer but everyone calls me Psycho. If any of you homos call me Francis I’ll kill you.” After an awkward moment of silence Sergeant Hulka, in a challenging and menacing way, looks him in the eye and says “Lighten up “Francis!”)
In Proverbs 17:22 Solomon wrote about how it is that a joyful heart is like medicine, it just makes us feel better. Therefore doing things that make us happy is an important part of maintaining a good attitude. If we become like Francis and we’re having difficulty lightening up or having fun, we need to see that as a warning sign. When the fun stops we need to pay attention because something is wrong.
That’s not to say that all of life is going to be lollipops and gumdrops. It isn’t. Sometimes life is hard. And that’s precisely why we need to intentionally seek out the moments of joy and happiness and milk every drop out of them!
One of the ways to do that is to spend time with other people who bring you happiness, and who bring happiness out of you. There are certain people I truly enjoy being around simply because I love to hear them laugh. These are people who laugh often and whose laughs are infectious. Hearing them laugh makes me smile too. Spend time with people like that.
Today is Friday. There’s a good chance this has been a long and tough week for many of you. I encourage you to have some fun this weekend. Watch a funny movie, go out with some friends, play with your dog, come to church on Sunday, do something that brings you happiness and joy. Laughter and a light heart are good for the soul.
So, “Lighten up Francis!” and have a little fun.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 