UP!

First thought when I saw the word for today...

Oh, the Grand old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up the hill
And marched them down again

And when you’re up, you’re up
And when you’re down, you’re down
And when you’re only half-way down
You’re neither up nor down!

I have to admit only the chorus was what I thought of... Anyway...  Up!

Here is a question for you... Does a Christian have to be "up" all the time? Are we supposed to always be happy? When is it appropriate to pretend to be "up"?

There are people in this world who would say that to the world a Christian should always look and seem happy. We should always have a smile on our face and should always be joyful.  I am sorry, I am a human being and that is not possible, at least not for me. I can feign happiness, smiles, and joy at times, but it usually ends up showing that I am not truly happy, I am not smiling on the inside, or I am less than joyful.

I have said it many times David was not always joyful, he was depressed quite often. I am sure there were times when he tried to hide his sadness, but I know there had to be times when he couldn't. James says...

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3

So, be joyful for trials... seems counterintuitive! Being joyfully doesn't always have to produce a smile. If I am not smiling it doesn't mean I am not up! I don't know where I really wanted to go with this but...

I want to say, you never know what someone is going through. It may be all they can do just to get out of bed in the morning, putting a smile on their face is far from their minds.  Then there are other days that the same person can jump out of bed ready to defeat the world and rise victorious over their troubles. Don't judge a person up-ness by their facial expression or their stance. If you see someone who looks "down", pray for them. If you think they are open to comfort, comfort them. Sometimes people don't smile so they can give their face a rest... yep that is my reason for not smiling... my face needs to rest a lot!

Truthfully, right now, I am depressed a lot. I have been feigning smiles, joy, and happiness a lot. I am working through stuff and it will get better. Yes, prayer would be appreciated, but I don't always ask for it. God knows my heart and He has my back, He has something He is trying to teach me and I am trying to learn it, whatever it may be. Until then, I am as up as I can be, I am pushing through and I am not giving up!

Thanks for reading! God Bless You All!

This is the 1st Christian Song that came up when I put Up in the search box on YouTube :)