Do I have to give up being myself to be a successful Christian?

[HoosierCanuck]

The 'real' me is a funny person but it appears to me from my experiences trying to 'fit in' and going to church and my attempts to mingle on the forums that it's some horrible sin to have a sense of humour. If I go to non-Christian sites then all I get is a bunch of perverts or rude people who think they've got it all figured out. When I first found these forums I thought they seemed pretty cool but now I'm just bored. If having a sense of humour is so evil then why did God create me this way? Without being able to share humour I get depressed and think about killing myself. I have always believed that humour was a gift I was given. I can't sing, I can't preach, I'm not good with kids, etc...

I used to be able to cheer people up and help them with it. Now it's as if my sense of humour is some obsolete object that no longer functions and the world doesn't need anymore. I have no other gifts or talents so I am useless now and the world would be better off without me trying to make them commit the unpardonable sin of laughing! I guess I'll just laugh and enjoy life and then go to Hell for it. So be it.

 

[Sketcher]

God created fun and laughing. Go to biblegateway.com and do a search for laughing. People say that the better God's gift, the more Satan messed with it at/after the fall. I think he distorted fun and humor worse than he distorted sex.

 

[Shannonkish]

Proverbs 17:22-- A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Laughter is a good thing... God has a sense of humor.. there is NOTHING wrong with you having a sense of humor.

 

[KidDitto]

Ther are two comics that have me howl!

One was Jim something from the North east and then this woman who is on the 700 club.

Laughing is a great thing!

http://christianbest.com/xian_hum.html

 

[DSGodChild]

Hello HoosierCanuck,

If comedy is a sin, you and I will be co-hosting Satan's birthday roast.

You won't go to Hell for being funny. That is a tremendous gift, and something you can use to heal and help people. I've felt the same way about myself; humor is one of my strongest points. I still use it every chance I get now that I am committed to God, but I will admit that I have streamlined it.

The main thing that you need to look at is subject matter. I know from experience that one of the easiest laughs is a dirty remark or joke or innuendo. I used to use those all the time, and my (non-christian) friends would crack up left and right. But after I really started to seek God, and commit my life into his hands, I just couldn't joke like that anymore. We are supposed to use our gifts to edify, not to bring ourselves or others down. Things in my past life are in the past, and some of the things I found humorous back then I won't deal with now.

If your jokes are going into the regions that Christians don't approve of, that's probably why you're getting negative responses. But if you're just cracking jokes, then keep at it, brother. The world needs light-hearted people. Just stay in Christ in all you do, and you won't go wrong.

And I'll see you in Heaven.

 

[daveleau]

The 'real' me is a funny person but it appears to me from my experiences trying to 'fit in' and going to church and my attempts to mingle on the forums that it's some horrible sin to have a sense of humour. If I go to non-Christian sites then all I get is a bunch of perverts or rude people who think they've got it all figured out. When I first found these forums I thought they seemed pretty cool but now I'm just bored. If having a sense of humour is so evil then why did God create me this way? Without being able to share humour I get depressed and think about killing myself. I have always believed that humour was a gift I was given. I can't sing, I can't preach, I'm not good with kids, etc...

I used to be able to cheer people up and help them with it. Now it's as if my sense of humour is some obsolete object that no longer functions and the world doesn't need anymore. I have no other gifts or talents so I am useless now and the world would be better off without me trying to make them commit the unpardonable sin of laughing! I guess I'll just laugh and enjoy life and then go to Hell for it. So be it.

I think we can learn a lot on this subject by studying Jesus' first miracle. As we all know, Jesus was sinless and taught in the Temple with great authority at an early age. In John 2, we see that Jesus was invited to a wedding party with his disciples (not the Apostles because this is before He picked them). They wanted Him around. He did not stop the festivities. He did not act like a stick in the mud. He did not preach (not that preaching is being a stick in the mud). He actually livened up the party when the week-long (weddings were traditionally long celebrations in Jewish culture) festival ran short on wine.
You do not have to lose your sense of humor, provided it was not based on sinful jokes. You do not have to stop having fun, provided your fun was not based solely on sinful things. Go out and have fun! God wants us to witness, but what kind of witness would we be if we are humorless or acting like Christian life was a drudgery?

Go out, have fun and do it for Christ!
Dave

 

[HoosierCanuck]

Thanks for the responses guys (and gals). To answer a question posed more than once by you: I try my best to keep it clean. My humour is one that more makes fun of stupid things that happen in life. I'm not into sex jokes or gross-out jokes or anything like that. Think Weird Al Yankovic. That's more my speed. That's the way I am. I feel like in the past I HAVE healed people to some degree with the humour. One of my friends from the old high school days used to call me when she would fight with her parents (or whatever the circumstance may have been) and would say "I need a laugh." This girl was/is a Christian....was raised one. She has been the exception to the rule in terms of people I've met. I feel comfortable joking with her.

One example of what's frustrating to me is that I've lurked around and posted in the singles forum for a few months and sometimes I like to say silly things to lighten the mood but it just seems like everyone in that forum is so stuck on the actual topic matter that they can't lighten up and enjoy a good wisecrack. I guess I'm disillusioned. I thought I'd find people in there that would find humour in their situation, if for no other reason....to keep from getting too bummed out by it.