Christians and Boppy Clowns

I’ve had a few hard knocks in my life. But, I have to face it, I’m not alone. It seems that life loves to knock Christians around. I’ve been thinking a lot about boppy clowns since the last knock.

            There used to be blow up clown dolls that kids could hit and it would go down and pop back up. Children could hit, hit, hit and that clown would keep coming back up to stand. I don’t think it’s made anymore. Maybe someone thought it promoted violence. I just know that it illustrates the realities of life. Life is not always pleasant. It knocks us down when we least expect it as we are trying to walk as a Christian.

            I’ve been feeling like a boppy clown lately. I’m just trying to go my merry way through life and “bop” I get knocked down. I struggle to get a handle on the situation and think I’ve gotten it and “bop.”  Happy - then “bop” – struggle –whew – happy - then “bop.”

            One day when I was in the middle of a “bop” I just cried out to God and said, “You know, someday I’m just not going to stand back up. And what are You going to do about it then?”

My gentle, merciful Lord at that moment drew near to me and whispered to my spirit, “Who do you think keeps lifting you up when you go down? All you have to do is stand; I’ll keep getting you up. Don’t worry about getting up, just be ready to stand.”

                              Way to put me in my place, but I needed that.

James 4:10 says: Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.

                        (Let Him do the heavy lifting.)

James 5:8 says: Stand firm because the Lord is coming near.

                        (We just lock our knees and stand.)

Other stand firm verses –

                                         Ephesians 6:14-18 Stand firm therefore, tighten your belt with truth, and put on the protection of righteousness, and put on the shoes of preparation of the Gospel of peace; in addition to all this, take up the shield of faith so you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and prayer for all your brothers and sisters.

                              I Cor. 15:15 Therefore, my beloved brothers, stand firm, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your hard work is not in vain in the Lord. 

Get the picture? Boppy clowns we may be, but we just plant our feet in the dirt. When the world knocks us down we let God, himself, pick us up, dust us off, and then we plant our feet in the dirt again.            

                                               STAND FIRM.