Clowns Freak Me Out

I am going to the circus on Saturday morning because I believe that my grandson will smile. Absolutely no other reason! Since I can remember clowns freak me out. Yes, clowns scare me, make my skin crawl and give me the heebie geebies. You get the point.

So I started to think, why am I so weird about clowns? What I have come to believe is that:

1. If anyone has to put so much make up on to prove he is happy and fun, is he really happy and fun.

2. They must be masking their real feelings.

3. If 1&2 are correct then they can't be trusted.

Upon further review, clowns are just like the rest of us. We go around masking who we really are. Our society has put such a premium on outward appearance including cars, house, whatever that we have become a society of clowns, just hurting people wearing masks.

Paul says in Romans 8:13 "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." He draws a battle line between the Spirit and the flesh. It's as if someone asked his doctor " I have this disease what can I do?". The doctor responds "If you continue in this manner you will die but if you do as I say and use this remedy you will live." Sounds like a "no brainer" choice until we look at the remedy.

Paul uses the word flesh to refer to our worldly Christ less lives and daily decisions. If we continue to live according to what culture says is good and lovely our souls will surely die. But (amazing things in Scripture come after but,therefore and commas), Paul says, if by the Holy Spirit we put to death our sin nature and Christ less living we will surely live.

How then do we go about putting to death our sin?

1. We must dislike our sin as much as God dislikes our sin. If God was not offended by your sin, there would have been no purpose in the cross.

2. When convicted by the Holy Spirit of that sin, we must repent (turn away from the sin to God and ask for forgiveness). Luke 5:32 "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to circumcise your heart. Colossians 2:11"In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ," Pray for him to cut away or remove that sin from your life.

If you are tired of the same sin nature raising its head over and over again, putting on a happy face or buying new clothes will not fix your heart. If you find yourself more worried about making people happy and not concerned with the state of your heart, don't be a clown.