Epicenter: Philippi (Exchanging Sadness for Joy) — Wednesday
Proverbs 17:22
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (NIV)
I didn’t take many philosophy courses in college. Okay, full disclosure—I didn’t actually go to college. Which is why some of you won’t be surprised when I confess that my favorite philosopher is a little bear called Winnie the Pooh. Maybe you’ve heard of him?
In all seriousness, if you haven’t seen the movie Christopher Robin, you should definitely check it out.
I won’t ruin it for you, but essentially, the film follows Christopher Robin’s life as an adult—and his unexpected reunion with his furry friends from Hundred Acre Wood, a place he visited regularly as a child.
At first, the majority of these characters—Eyeore, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, and Roo—don’t recognize him. And to make matters worse, due to his size, they actually mistake him for a frightening creature they refer to as a heffalump.
We can’t really blame them. His boyish looks and childlike wonder are a distant memory, especially since he’s grown up to be a very serious, career-minded adult with NO time for silly games—or to even play with his own daughter. It’s only when the cynical, coffee-drinking, paper-pushing Christopher Robin finally begins to play with his toys again that they see it’s really him.
However, there’s an important detail in this story: Winnie-the-Pooh immediately recognizes him.
Our verse today teaches us a valuable lesson when it comes to taking care of our hearts. The reality is, time may wrinkle our skin, but the Bible teaches that what really dries us up is a crushed spirit. However, when our hearts are cheerful and full of joy, they resemble the kind of child-like faith Jesus calls us to have (Matthew 18:3).
I’ll admit, watching this movie may have prompted a few tears, especially since I have a LOT more in common with the adult version of Christopher Robin than I probably care to admit. The older I get, the more cynical I can often become. The more I focus on work, the more I begin to neglect the things in life that matter most. To be honest, part of me wonders whether my old stuffed animals would even recognize me if they saw me today!
Luckily, Jesus still does. Regardless of how grown up you and I become, God will always see one thing: His little child. A child He will always remember—even on the days we forget about Him.
In His eyes, we haven’t aged a bit. And if I had to guess, our stuffed animals would agree.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Read Matthew 18:1-5. What do you think it means to have child-like faith?
