Self-deprecating Jesus

I want share a story with you that I experienced about a month ago. Driving back home on day after work I was in a horrible mood. Things had gone poorly at work, and everyone on the road was making me angry. I was pretty much ticked off at everything and everybody. About half way home I was in the height of my anger after having sufficient time to reflect on how much everyone has mistreated me.

At that time I remembered the words of Jesus that went something like, "cast your cares on me". Which I took to mean, "tell me what's bothering you.". So as I was driving I started to pray. Well, actually it was more of a temper-tantrum before the Lord than a prayer. Then as I was really getting into my temper-tantrum, I small pick-up truck passed by me with a bumper sticker in the back window that read: "Jesus is coming soon". Now normally, I'm not the type to go from being in a fit of anger to laughing out loud hysterically, but when I saw that bumper sticker I started laughing so hard I almost had to pull over. I tell you, I laughed all the way back home and for most of the rest of the night too!

It may seem like coincidence to you, but I took that as a sign from God saying: "Derek, just lighten up already!". I think that was His way of saying that things weren't that bad, that He understood, but that He wanted me to just get over it. It also showed me that He is willing to make good humor of himself at times too. And that we also should be able to laugh at ourselves from time to time.

That event is a constant reminder to me how powerful humor can be. Particularly, a well timed joke. I've been reading a lot of books about how to use the Word to break down strongholds of the Enemy and how to pray what's on God's own heart. Lots of these books talk about and explain what I'll call "extreme praying" where the prayer warrior either cries intensely for another, or shouts out a prayer in a loud voice. I've even read about pastors being prompted by God to pray in such a way as to ORDER God to do something. Sadly, these books do not hit on humor that much. Humor can be an extemely powerful weapon at times too. God's joke that he shared with me stopped my anger dead in its tracks. Its was a correction from Him to be sure, but He did it in a way that did not turn me away from Him. He didn't rebuke me like you read Jesus doing to the Pharasis and even Hiw own deciples, but instead His correction of my thinking and behavior was done *in a loving way* .. in a way that pulled me closer to Him.

Often times I think how cool it would be to be like Moses who acted under the Authority and protection of God and walked up to kings and told them to obey. But I think the next time a tense situation arises between me and another person, I'm going to be listening to God for a good joke or a bit of wit to share instead.