Contagious

Julia and I like to watch tv as we walked around our house and get ready in the morning or if we are getting prepared for something. We watch it not because we have a favorite show or can understand the shows, but to try and help us learn German. In Germany they will take an American comedy and dub over with German voices. Usually when we watch one of these shows you will hear one us yell out words that are familiar to us like this morning, Julia yelled out, “butcher!” This morning we saw the show “The Nanny”. If you have never seen the show you aren’t missing anything. The ladies voice makes you want to be at a 6th grade flute recital for beginners instead of listening to her. I do not know if it was because I couldn’t understand what was going on because of the language, but I noticed that in this comedy at the end of every sentence there was a laugh track that went off. I kid you not, at the end of every sentence there was a laugh track, even when she said, “hello” as she entered the room. The reason why they add these laugh tracks to these awful comedies is because they are hoping that this laughter will be contagious. It will make you think it’s funny and maybe make you laugh at it. The thought of being a contagious came to mind. I think of the life of Paul in Acts 16. He was put in prison and had everything going against him. He was just beat and his response was to sing and praise God. It said that the whole jail heard him and Silas and after the Lord freed them, the jailor ran in and asked what he might to do be saved. Paul’s love for Jesus gave him a joy that was different from other people. The Gospel should change our lives to the point where our lives look different to the outside world. We have a hope in Jesus Christ, we have an eternal joy that is ever lasting! I am convicted because many times when I should be exemplifying Gospel joy, I exemplify a bad attitude. Julia and I have been in many waiting rooms and have had a lot of paper work to do here in Germany, and I will admit I have not always had the greatest attitude. What is great is that we are continually given opportunities to take up our Cross and follow Jesus daily. I hope that we as Christians live a life that makes the watching world, ask of the hope that is in us that we may give an answer for that hope.