Men, I believe your wife and children would love you more if you had more Holy Ghost joy in your life. In fact, more joy could save many a marriage--perhaps yours too!
I am sure it is good for a woman to be married to a “rock” if the man is rock solid in his convictions. But rocks can be boring.
II Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Liberty? Yes! Liberty to rejoice. Liberty to smile. Liberty to testify. Liberty to lift up holy hands. Liberty to pray. Liberty to dance for joy. Liberty to clap your hands. Liberty to be holy. And liberty to be silent to avoid offense.
Men, I believe that true holiness is not at all like the strict, cold picture that some church groups believe it to be. In fact, the picture that is often painted by some holiness groups reminds me of the 1930 American Gothic painting by Norman Rockwell with a man standing outside his house with his daughter by his side. The man is holding a three-prong pitch fork and they both look very severe. Woe unto the man who tries to court this man’s daughter! And honesty, looking at her, who would want to?
The Holy Spirit is a spirit of liberty. He is not a spirit of legalism which puts people in religious strait jackets. In fact, I believe that rigid, frigid so-called holiness is a misrepresentation of God. Most of it is downright sinful because it is often judgmental on all who smile, laugh and have joy in their holiness.
Hebrew 1:9 says, “Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” None of us would dare question the holiness of Christ. Yet, He was anointed with the oil of gladness above all his contemporaries. The disciples never rebuked the man who was healed at the Gate Beautiful when he walked, leaped and praised God in the temple (Acts 3:1-8).
Aim for more smiles, laughter and Holy Spirit joy in your marriage.
Be encouraged to walk in the liberty that God intends for you. Colin