Happy Dwarves
Did you know that six out of the seven dwarves in Snow White aren’t happy?
It took me a couple of seconds to realize the pun intended in the opening joke. I thought, “Of course six of Snow White’s dwarves were not named happy.” But then I groaned and shook my head. The play on the word ‘happy’ is what makes this a great pun. The statement is actually saying that six out of the seven dwarves in Snow White were not emotionally happy.
As I thought about some of the names of the dwarves (Grumpy, Dopey, and Sneezy for example) I began to think about my life and how at times I let anxiety, worry, stress, and fear, get in the way of my happiness. I also know that I am not alone in my everyday battle against those emotional feelings that rob me of happiness. If we are honest, all of us can admit to the challenge of dealing with issues that cause us to lose sight of happiness. How can we go forward when the pressures of anxiety, worry, stress, and fear begin to overwhelm us? My answer lies in Philippians 4:6-7.
This is an easy off-the-cuff verse to quote to someone who is struggling. It reads “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The verse clearly states that if we pray continuously and with grateful hearts, we will have peace. Or does it?
As I read this verse, I do not see anywhere in it that God will take away the anxiety, worry, and stress we encounter in this life. Part ‘a’ of verse seven states “…and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will…” What type of peace is Paul writing about? Is it a peace that overwhelms us and erases all the bad and unfruitful thoughts? The answer is no. Paul is talking about the peace that we as Christians have in Christ. Christ never promised that our lives would be easy, but He did promise to walk beside us, support us, and let us lean on Him as we face difficult times.
Out peace does not come from all of our anxiety, worry, stress, and fear being wiped away by Christ. Our peace comes when we continually speak to Him and tell him our worries and fears. As we continually come to Him, we notice that the issues we face seem less intimidating and the struggle we face is easier. That is because we have begun to walk with Him and allowed Him to hold and if needed, carry us. We can be happy in times of struggle if we allow Christ to walk beside us. Our job is to pray continuously from a grateful heart, then let Christ come beside us and share our burden.