It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad World!
That’ s my impression from my stroll down the main drag of Gatlinburg, TN, recently.
- Few people smiling or laughing.
- Harsh words being spoken to others, especially to children and other family members.
- One woman hollering out foul language because she has pulled into a blocked street and folks would not “ part the Red Sea” for her to back out onto Parkway.
- Impatience on display.
- Most store clerks looking like their job was a misery to their soul.
- T-shirts declaring the woe-filled and proud hearts of so many.
All this and more in one of the vacation capitols of America!
This is supposed to be “the happy place!” Right?
Really????
But this is the case almost everywhere you go today. Why?
1. Man tries to fill his empty, eternal soul with temporal, earthly things. There is nothing in the world that will ever completely satisfy mankind. There may be momentary satisfaction, but it only leaves us wanting more.
Amid all this unhappiness, I saw new attractions, new restaurants, a gazillion moonshine stores (Isn’ t that what brings great joy, so we’ re told????), new stores, new products on the shelves, etc. This should make people happy, full of joy, right?
2. Man without a personal relationship with Christ does not have the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:19-24)
As my wife and I strolled up and back down Parkway, our hearts were saddened and grieved by the thousands who are choosing to live this way without the Prince of Peace, The Joy of Jesus, the Savior of our souls.
May I encourage you to read the three links given in the last sentence above?
When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds in the field, his first words were “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10). That “great joy” was the truth that the God who had seemed far off had come to them in human flesh. He was to be called “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” (Isaiah 9:6–7; Matthew 1:23). Those who saw Him saw the face of God (John 14:9). He had come to rescue, to save, to heal, and to make mankind right with God (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:17–21). That was cause for great joy!
The only cure for a mad, mad, mad world is the Gospel! The Good News!!
Dale Cunningham is the pastor of Boones Creek Bible Church in Johnson City, TN. He blogs at From a Pastor’s Heart, we republish his material with permission.
Photo by A n v e s h on Unsplash
This is not what I experience almost everywhere I go today. People surely need the gospel but not because unbelievers are unhappy, unfulfilled, unkind people and Christians are happy, content, kind people. What I see among the non-believers I work and do business with–as well as random public interactions where I live and travel–is mostly kind, courteous, professional, and happy (apparently) people. By the same token, quite a few of the obnoxious cranks I know are Christians.
This should be expected: common grace, depravity, the gradual nature of sanctification.
Well, our sample sizes are all small. I have worked on secular jobs, and people are reasonably kind and pleasant. That doesn’t mean they aren’t angry. Scratch them a little, and watch them go off. It is true that professing Christians can exhibit similar characteristics, but I doubt those who are walking in the Spirit do.
The point is, we have a largely frustrated and unhappy people, even more so with the rise of secularism. I think that is true, no matter what public face they present in relatively stable environments.
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3