There are two types of people in this world. One is the kind that ride hands up, mouth open as their legs are suspended below them as the G forces compress their chest. Then there are those who brave the track tightly embracing the harness, white knuckled hoping the 2 minute and 20 seconds of terror-filled joy ends sooner rather than later. (And I guess, a third, like my wife, who is wise enough not to ride roller coasters at all.)
But for the sake of this post, let’s just consider the two. The truth is both will get on and off the same ride. Both individuals will experience the same climbs, drops, twists, turns, and loops. So what drives one person pull the harness done and put their hands up? In a word, fear. Or better said a lack of it. There is a courageous confidence that the whipping wild ride will end in the success of safety. While the both riders start with the same knowledge that the train of carts will circle right back to where it started, one sits down with a confidence of the outcome.
Now, I get I am generalizing individuals on how they ride amusement park rides, but there is a lesson in it for us. How do you harness into this wild ride called life. It is filled with ups, downs, twists, turns, and the occasional loopy-loop. Are you screaming with joy or shrilling with fear? What I have learned is that fear and joy cannot co-exist. Fear is accosts our emotions and assaults our joy. Fear keeps us from choosing the joy-filled and joyful moments of life.
Now fear is useful. It tells us that there is danger when legitimized. Fear says “hey, that bear is probably not friendly.” Yet, most ofter fear is a foe and not a friend. Fear is slithering snake of a liar whispering make believe lies into our thoughts. Lies like “it will be good for you” or “no one really loves you” or “you will never be successful”. The lies of fear cause us to clinch the hand bars of the Screamin’ Demon and go ghostly white with prayer in hopes that you just get off alive. And in the process miss every joy filled thrill life brings you.
I agree, this metaphor has gone a little too far. Yet, truth is truth. Fear is a liar, but not a thief. You see fear cannot steal your joy, it is surrendered. The apostle Paul tells us to take every thought captive in one letter and in another challenges the readers to “think on these things” whatever is pure, lovely, JOYFILLED. He never says to park your thinker on fear and stay here. No, every thought he presses on us to think stands in opposition to fear.
My life has had some ups and down (guess I wasn’t done with the metaphor) and I have had some seasons and stretches of life that fear has been a perpetual companion. Yet, I am learning that if I want to have joy, I cannot invite in fear. So when fear comes knocking, I choose to not let it in. I focus on what is true, what is lovely, what is right.
In a season where JOY will be trumpeted, choose joy.
