Today...

...Jin smiled. I saw her. It made me glad.

The sad part was what she smiled at. Another of the staff here had begun telling her jokes about beginning to date again. That spiraled out into this other staff member offering to die herself, go to heaven and get permission from Jin's husband on Jin's behalf. She also offered to lend Jin her own husband and son, or even herself. Lesbianism is in vogue! Perhaps getting drunk was what Jin needed. At least it would help her sleep.

and on and on it went...

But Jin smiled. I saw her.

I couldn't smile genuinely, however. I knew this would only be a temporary fix.

Of course this other staff member was only joking. But it made me ask a question about myself. In a jestful way she was advocating indulging sin to sooth our wounded hearts. What do I turn to when I'm upset? Do I turn to God, or do I turn to sin?

I think most often I turn to sin. I indulge self pity, I indulge anger and self-righteousness, I indulge idleness and laziness, I even indulge idolatry by throwing myself wholy into something other than God for sake of distraction. I ignore the spirit whispering in my ear that there's something else God expects from me... obedience. He calls us to rejoice always - and in what? In our salvation. And how can we do this? By remembering the gospel.

"The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." -1 Tim 1:15