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In This Issue...
Articles
- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
Resources
Book Reviews
- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
- The Purse-Driven Life by Anita Renfroe
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Guilt, Anyone?
By Kerry Marsh
Kerry Marsh, M.A., PLPC is a counselor at Evangel University and UpWord Counseling Services in Springfield, Missouri. She has been a minister with the Assemblies of God for 15 years, and her husband, Doug, directs the Assemblies of God Royal Rangers ministry.
A woman and her husband went to dinner at an upscale restaurant. As they were leaving after the meal, she noticed a dish of mints and grabbed a handful. At the door, the maitre d’ held out his upturned palm, intending to kiss her hand. Hastily, the woman stuffed the handful of pilfered mints into his hand, apologizing profusely.
We can rest in our unbroken relationship with God, ceasing our frenetic efforts to be good enough.
A young missionary wife stays home with her baby and small toddler. Her days are spent feeding, dressing, and changing the babies, answering their cries, fielding tantrums, and walking in the park. Her energies depleted, she lays aside ministry responsibilities. I am an overseas housewife and not much of a missionary, she thinks. She wonders if she will ever fulfill her potential and be worth the constituents’ money.
These women both experienced the uncomfortable, universal sensation known as guilt. Guilt has been defined as a painful feeling of self-reproach resulting from a belief of wrong doing. If you suspect guilt may be one of your primary emotions, you are not alone. Women (and women ministers specifically) are particularly susceptible to it: Why do all my clothes seem to be shrinking? Our son’s long hair showcases my failure as a parent. Being a busy minister on the weekends isn’t leaving me with enough free time to spend with my family. Am I seriously feeding my family food from a box again? I really need to phone Grandma. On and on it goes.
As we try and fail to please our hard-driving conscience and feel like everyone in the world is disappointed in us, God seems demanding, too. When we do the right things, we dare to think He may care for us. When we don’t, we are ashamed to even think of Him. We may forget that Jesus’ death paid the penalty for our sins and placed us in right standing before God (2 Corinthians 5:21). We do not deserve God’s love and cannot earn it. He knows who we are; He knows we are but dust (Psalm 103:14). Yet His love for us is constant, overwhelming, staggering in its scope (Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 3:17-19).
What does this mean to women in ministry? It means we can rest in our unbroken relationship with God, ceasing our frenetic efforts to be good enough. His forgiveness is ours for the asking. It means our activities can be motivated by love instead of by guilty obligation. And maybe, just maybe, we can embrace our imperfect selves and enjoy this journey called life.
