An advertisement appeared years ago in the London Times: “Wanted, by an invalid lady, a housekeeper; must be a good church-woman, to take entire charge of house and four servants. A cheerful Christian, if possible.”
We should all be cheerful Christians, if possible. And it is possible! We have the Holy Spirit who can radiate joy from within us and it brightens the day for everyone.
Phillips Brooks was the giant-of-a-pastor who preached in Boston many years ago (and also wrote the Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”). Someone once said of him:
The day opened cloudy and cheerless, but about noon Phillips Brooks came down town and then everything brightened up.
Lord, let it be true for all of us today!
PS – Excerpted from my sermons on Ecclesiastes, which are available under the sermon tab at www.donelson.org.