Don't Let Them Steal Your Spark

  

 Have you ever finally gotten something you really wanted—a new car, a promotion, or a specific gadget—only to realize it brought more problems than it was worth? Suddenly, the excitement vanishes, and the "blessing" starts to feel like a burden that just sucks the joy right out of your life. Well I hope that is not the case for you today, but if it is I want you to know your not alone. 

    That is exactly how many Christians in the ancient church of Colossae were feeling in Paul's day. When they first met Jesus, they were filled with the simple, beautiful truth that faith in Christ was enough. They were filled with the kind of excitement and joy that only Christ can bring in one's life. They understood that they had a purpose, they were loved, and were now had a real relationship with God. 

    But then, the "joy stealers" arrived. Certain teachers began telling them that Jesus wasn't enough—that they had to act, look, and worship a specific way to be truly spiritual. All of a sudden they were bogged down with rules and rituals. Doubt began to creep in their minds and started to steal their joy and peace they once had. For them Christianity shifted from a liberating relationship to an exhausting chore. 

    Today, the same "joy thieves" are still active, turning churches into judgmental spaces where personal convictions are treated like divine commands. 

The Warning from Prison

    Writing from his own confinement, the Apostle Paul reminds these believers—and us—that we are complete in Christ. He identifies three specific ways people try to "defraud" or rob us of our spiritual freedom that we have in Christ. 

"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind... Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—'Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle'?"- Colossians 2:16–23 (NKJV)

Three Ways Your Joy is Stolen

Paul highlights three specific traps that lead to a "holier-than-thou" attitude and a loss of joy.

1. The Trap of False Humility

    Some people pride themselves on how much they suffer or how "unworldly" they appear. They believe that to please God, you must be as miserable as they are. They look down on you or anyone else who does not do the things that they are doing. 

    When Emperor Justinian dedicated the stunning Church of St. Sophia, he claimed it was for God's glory . Yet, under his breath, he whispered, "Solomon, I have surpassed you". His "humble" service was actually fueled by a desire for superior status.

    I have dealt with many of these types of individuals in my life. Individuals who look down on you for having a TV in your house, or the clothes you wear at church, or for going to the movies with your family. They put their personal convictions that they have set for themselves and have elevated them to the status of scripture and demand that you follow them just as closely as they do. 

    This shows up in groups that forbid phones, computers, jewelry, or certain clothes as a badge of holiness.

     When we pride ourselves on being "humble," we aren't rejoicing in Christ; we are actually rejoicing in ourselves. "Look how I live" "Look at the things I don't allow in my life".

2. The Trap of False Worship

    Sometimes we get so caught up in the experience of worship that we lose sight of the Object of worship: Jesus.

People can begin to worship the music, the building, the "feeling," or even the pastor

    When the famous preacher Henry Ward Beecher couldn't make a service, his brother filled in. His brother did the best that he could but he was no Henry Ward Beecher. As people started to leave in disappointment, the brother announced, "All who came this morning to worship Henry W. Beecher may now leave; the rest will remain to worship God"

If your joy depends on a specific person or setting rather than Jesus, it will always be fragile. Our hope is not in the walls of a church or in a beautiful stained-glass cathedral, its in the person of Jesus Christ. We should not worship the type of music we sing, but rather worship the savior that we are singing about. 

    If we are not careful we can begin worshiping a lot of things and miss the very object of our worship, which is our Lord and Savior Jesus Chris. When we do this we will miss out on the joy that can only come when our worship is completely centered on the Savior of the World! 

3. The Trap of False Teaching (Legalism)

Paul warns about people who use scripture out of context to enforce their personal preferences.

    These teachers often point to Old Testament rituals—food, drink, and festivals—which Paul calls "shadows". A shadow only exists because a real object is blocking the light. What the apostle Paul is saying is that the rituals pointed to Jesus; so now that the "Substance" (Jesus) is here, we don't need to cling to the shadows.

    Today, this looks like calling it a "sin" for men to have long hair, women to wear pants, or for anyone to go to a movie or play cards . There have even been some Christian groups and organizations that have started to teach the very thing that Paul is talking about here in this text. There are some Christian groups that are claiming we need to observe this Jewish holiday or ritual. 

    In recent years, studies on church "deconstruction" suggest that a primary reason young adults leave the faith is a "judgmental atmosphere" and "legalism." According to Barna Group research, nearly 50% of young people who grew up in the church felt that the church was "overprotective" or "unwilling to acknowledge the complexity of the real world," often focusing on superficial rules over authentic faith.

  We must be vigilant not to drift into legalism. While personal convictions and standards are valuable, we must never treat our individual preferences as if they carry the same divine weight as Scripture.

Protecting Your Joy

    When you try to follow rules that Jesus never gave you, you lose your ability to take joy in Him. True Christianity isn't a list of "do not touch, do not taste"; it is a relationship that must be nurtured and cherished.

     Has your faith become a "chore"? Are you judging your spirituality based on a checklist or based on your closeness to Christ?

Don't let anyone rob you of the freedom and joy you have in Him!