Curb Your Enthusiasm

By John Stallings



…..The joy of the lord is your strength.



An elderly man was at home dying in bed. He smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies baking.

He wanted one last cookie before he died. He fell out of bed, crawled to the landing, rolled down the stairs & crawled into the kitchen where his wife was busily baking cookies.

To have one or two cookies before he checked out was all the old man wanted. With his strength failing, he crawled toward the cookies on the table & as he grasped a warm, moist chocolate chip cookie, his wife suddenly whacked his hand with a spatula.

“Why?” He whispered. “Why did you do that?” His wife answered, “These cookies are for the funeral.”

This story, though darkly humorous, underlines one of the realities of life; there’ll always be something or someone to squelch whatever enthusiasm or joy that we can muster up.

“Curb your enthusiasm,”- you may know is a TV show on HBO that has been popular since the year 2000. I’ve never watched a whole episode, mainly because we don’t subscribe to HBO. The show, written by writer/comedian Larry David underscores his idea that many people seem to live their lives projecting “false enthusiasm” which he believes is used to imply that “they are better than you.” David’s style is droll & dry & so he would like to urge people to “curb their enthusiasm.”

Since my knowledge of the show is limited, I couldn’t tell you much of anything except the main theme of the show. I’ve seen David interviewed occasionally & have heard him explain in detail what his show is all about. Mr. David wants to condition his audience not to expect too much from life & in all candidness, not to expect too much from his show. This is David’s “shtick.” He hits the jackpot on at least one of his objectives

I think few would disagree that our world at present is a world in agony. In the past few years the number of people seeking treatment for depression in the U.S has doubled. More antidepressant drugs are being prescribed than ever before in our history. Our school children are unhappy in school so schools are beginning to require that kids take certain drugs to control their behavior.

Materialism & the obsession for accumulating things is what people are turning to trying to find some sort of joy. The very atmosphere in which we live seems to encourage us to be morbid & to curb any excitement, joy or enthusiasm we might be clinging to. There will always be some outward circumstance that if we dwell on it, can steal our joy.

I heard the story of a mother of eight who came home from a neighbor’s house one Saturday afternoon. As she walked into the living room she saw five of her youngest children huddled together concentrating with great interest on something. As she slipped near them trying to discover the center of attraction, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Right dab in the middle of the room were five baby skunks. She screamed at the top of her voice, “Children run!!!” Each child grabbed a skunk & ran.

Life is like that sometimes. We’re going full steam ahead, feeling wonderful with the wind in our sails & the next thing we know we’re confronted with a room full of skunks. All of the sudden our joy is gone.

We can exchange the word joy for enthusiasm, & we can also speak of fervency & excitement & be in the same vein. Here’s a kicker; you & I can’t make ourselves joyful in the New Testament sense. That kind of joy is produced by something else. False joy manifests itself in flippancy. True joy isn’t uncontrolled emotion just as love isn’t. Godly joy is a mindset that results from love, faith, & hope that spring from the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

Joy isn’t a commodity that can’t be produced, bought, sold or stolen. We can’t buy joy on discount at Sears. We can’t purchase joy-in-a-jug. We can’t download joy. We can’t lobby for it. We can’t win joy in a lawsuit. We can’t turn it on with a remote control. We can’t earn joy & we can’t learn joy. We certainly can’t inherit it. Joy is as unpredictable as the one who bestows it. We can’t achieve joy, we can only receive it.

Let’s look at three elements of true joy;

1. In Godly joy there’s the state of complete satisfaction.

Not long ago, in keeping with Rock N Roll’s 50 year legacy, a poll was taken across the country to find out the most popular song of all time. When I read the results, I was flabbergasted to learn that neither Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny cash, nor Little Richard were associated with the No.1 Rock n’ Roll song of all time. Instead the poll revealed that the number one Rock song of all time was by the British band, The Rolling Stones, titled “I can’t get no satisfaction.” That truly surprised me.

As I thought about it, it occurred to me that the popularity & longevity of the song can be attributed to a simple observation:- the song speaks to the fundamental dilemma of so many people in our society who are in a constant quest for something that can bring them satisfaction. You can almost see the history of the last 50 years of American life & culture written through the lens & lyrics of that song. The song has a refrain that says; I tried, & I tried & I tried & I tried & I can’t get no satisfaction.”

Maybe they’re saying; “I tried LSD & cocaine & I can’t get satisfaction.” “I tried sex orgies & I can’t get satisfaction.” “I’ve tried alcohol & amphetamines & I still can’t get satisfaction.” “I’ve tried money & materialism & all I can say is I can’t get no satisfaction.” Maybe the reason for the tremendous popularity of that song & its persistent appeal is that it speaks to a universal aspiration that reaches deep into our psyche- to a frustration that burns within our society which says; -- “I tried, & I tried, & I tried & I tried -but I can’t get no satisfaction.”

The other morning we were watching the news & it seemed that every other commercial was for Viagra, Levitra & Cialis. I suppose married couples use these products, but in my heart I know the heavy emphasis on these products stems from our national fascination with sex. Sex, -in too many cases, cheap, fleeting, loveless encounters that are so much a mark of our present culture. Never mind that our country is over run with teenage pregnancy, unwanted births, a staggering use of abortion as a means of birth control & once solid marriages that are destabilized by extra-marital affairs. People try all these pursuits to find satisfaction but something is missing

If you & I are unsatisfied in any way we can’t be joyful. It can’t be said that we truly have Biblical joy unless we’re satisfied in our emotions, our thought life & our desires. Furthermore, if we don’t have contentment, we don’t have real joy. Someone said, “if you can look back over your life & feel contented about it, then you have one of man’s most precious gifts—a selective memory.” I guess we’ve all felt that way at times.

We’re living in a world of discontent, especially in America. People can have a nice home, a nice enough car, & wonderful friends & family & still be inwardly miserable. Many folk feel life has been unfair to them or “dealt them a bad hand of cards,” so they have a resentful attitude toward others & many times toward God.

The Stone’s song says, “I can't get no satisfaction.” But as Christians we should be living in a state of complete satisfaction.

A miracle takes place that turns us from unsatisfied people who’re cumbered by many things, into people who have full “Jesus joy.” Jesus said to His disciples;

These things have I spoken to you that MY joy might remain in you…. Matt. 15:11

This isn’t the momentary buzz we get when we go fishing or shopping. If you & I can get tickled over a few moments of doing fun things but after it’s over & our hearts are cold, we aren’t in a state of “Jesus joy.” Real joy & contentment is freedom from irritation, anxiety, worry & dissatisfaction.

ANCIENT ISRAEL

Israel had a problem with complaining & in my opinion they still do. Listen to what God told them;

….because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully & gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger & thirst, in nakedness & dire poverty you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. Duet.28:47-48

Of course you & I are spiritual Israel & we also tend to have this problem. Our society has an impact on us, constantly bombarding us with negativism even though we may fight hard to resist it.

We must overcome this temptation of discontentment the world so fiercely has. Real joy it keeps us from succumbing to the spirit of this age.

For Paul & other writers of the New Testament, joy & contentment are paradoxical because they were able to have it in the midst of the worst of afflictions. An example of this joy in suffering is seen when Paul & Silas are in a Philippian jail. Though their bodies are bruised & beaten, they are singing & praising God at midnight.

Paul said;

…for I have learned that whatever state I’m in, there to be content. Phil. 4:11

Paul didn’t just happen to be extra blessed with contentment. He said he’d learned to be content. He had to work at it. He had to keep his faith strong & keep on believing in the character of God.

True contentment is a deep-seated habit or permanent state of mind & must be based in Godliness. A contented mind arises from the assurance that God is always right & that His will is always best for us.

2. In joy there’s a spirit of excitement.

We’ve ministered In Jamaica several times over the years. When we’d get to church to start services, the whole church would already be around the alters. The people were excited about being at church. The sounds of their prayers & praises reached such a decibel level, you’d have had a hard time hearing it if the Blue Angels flew just over the rooftops. It would take great effort for the pastor to get their attention & let the people know it was time to start the service. Since Jamaica is a very poor country, certainly their joy & enthusiasm wasn’t predicated on their material possessions or their circumstances. Here in America, often it’s like pulling teeth to get people to come around the alter for prayer.

The Jamaicans are so full of “Jesus joy,” that if humor is used in a message they are always one step ahead. Very little ever goes over their heads. Sometimes the laughter would be so loud & last so long it would be a little startling. My travels around this world have convinced me that joy isn’t contingent upon the abundance of things people possess.

We can’t have true joy & it not be evidenced by excitement. And if we have excitement, we’ll have an enthusiasm that will cause people look at us in a quizzical manner, wondering what’s up with us.

Some churches however seem to think that joy is one of the “7 deadly sins.” I’ve been to funerals where more joy was expressed than in some church services I’ve attended. The Bible says --where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty & joy.


3. In joy there’s always a feeling of power & strength.

Joy is one of the greatest powers in the world. True joy fuses us with a dynamic feeling of power & strength that is exhilarating. A person in the state of joy is in a sense afraid of nothing. Jesus was able to face the onslaughts of hell because he had faith in His father which gave Him deep-seated joy.

Just a few weeks ago we all were witness to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. I remember seeing a Haitian woman pulled from the rubble of a building after being buried for almost a week. Experts tell us that three days is the limit for a person to live with no food or water. The elderly woman was singing a hymn & had a big smile on her face as she was finally freed from the concrete tomb. I don’t have a clue as to what it was like to be buried alive for days without food or water & I hope I never have to find out.

Also I remember seeing a four year old boy pulled from the wreckage after being buried for a week. He shouldn’t have been alive but when they finally pulled him out, he was smiling ear to ear & both his arms were raised like he’d just come from an old fashioned revival meeting. I can’t say that this joy was spiritually motivated. But what I can say is, if this old woman & this child can manifest this kind of joy over being rescued physically, you & I who know the Lord, & have been pulled from the pits of sin & established on the Rock Christ Jesus shouldn’t let anything steal our joy or curb our enthusiasm.

NEHEMIAH

In the 5th century BC, Nehemiah stepped forward to do the will of God. He did what God had put in his heart & mind & found the joy of the Lord was his strength.

As a result he was able to overcome intense opposition & threats; by taking wise defensive measures, by setting a good personal example & by forging ahead with his obvious courage. In Nehemiah 8 he spoke to the people saying;

Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet & send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

King David called the Lord “my rock”, “my strength & my shield; my heart trusted in Him, & I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, & with my song I will praise Him.


ALL IS RIGHT-OR-ALL IS WELL?

There’s a big difference between saying “all is right in my life” or-“All is well in my life.” The first phrase suggests that everything in my life is in order & under perfect control. This statement suggests absolutely everything is going exactly as I desire & there’s not a worry in the world. Frankly I couldn’t make that statement with a straight face -could you?

However the second phrase suggests something very different. “All is well” suggests that things may not be going according to my plan. Things may not be as great I would like in my health. My finances & my relationships may not be right in this moment. Nevertheless, I can still sing this old song;

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
I can’t always say- “everything is right” but I can always by faith say, “it is well with my soul.” It’s clear to me that if an individual “can’t get no satisfaction” they’re looking in the wrong place.

Listed among the Fruit of the Spirit is, love, joy, & peace. As we’ve tried to say-this isn’t something man can achieve on his own. It’s a “God thing.”

There’s an old Bill Gaither song we used to sing back in the seventies;

The world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
You know the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
This happy face that I’m wearing, my JESUS put it there to stay,
Because the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
This is what makes Christians different. This separates real joy from the cheap thrills & temporal pleasures of this present world.

Only joy can say;


"The world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away."


Blessings,


John