I was listening to one of my favorite comedians on his podcast talking about his craft. He stated that one of the most challenging parts of his job is always being funny on stage.

Imagine this: one day, you are late to the airport, your flight is delayed, and when you arrive at your destination, you discover that your hotel has significant issues. Finally, you get everything settled, and you Uber through heavy traffic to arrive at the club. Once there, you discover your opener is sick, and you will have to spend extra time in a place that is only half full. Overall, it has been a terrible day. Now your job is to walk on stage and be funny.

While I am a preacher and not a comedian, I do understand what he is saying. Some Sunday mornings, I have things go wrong at home, find problems at Church, have someone complain, worship will not go smoothly, and then I walk up to preach. How do you joyously represent God when nothing has filled you with joy? Truthfully, I am frustrated, angry, and distracted.

Being a light in this world sometimes means putting your best foot forward even when you don’t feel like it. We do it everywhere and every day, in spite of our feelings. One of the most challenging parts of following Jesus is being a Christian all the time, especially when we don’t feel like it.