将喜笑变为悲哀
“你们要愁苦、悲哀、哭泣，将喜笑变作悲哀，欢乐变作愁闷。”（雅4:9）
谦卑的人会发现罪不是一件好笑的事。
幽默本来是大众文化中不可缺少的一部分。但在近几十年来，幽默却变得越来越世俗。看看那些高居电视排行榜前列的情景喜剧，里面的内容常常迎合不道德的事，又有意无意贬低圣经的价值观。它们真的对人们没什么益处。同时，世人也热衷于参加那些只强调娱乐和自我放纵的活动。事实上，大多数人只想享受生活，而不想对生活太认真。
圣经说，人们可以在合适的时间、地点去欢笑：“哭有时，笑有时；哀恸有时，跳舞有时”（传3:4）。诗篇作者也提到了一个适合欢笑和高兴的时刻：“当耶和华把那些被掳的带回锡安的时候，我们好像作梦的人。我们满口喜笑、满舌欢呼……”（诗126:1-2）。
但是，神要求每一个想与他建立关系的人必须先有一个清醒的、严肃的、谦卑的态度。在今天的这节经文中，雅各敦促罪人将世俗的欢乐和喜笑转变为对罪的悲哀和愁闷。这里讲的“欢乐和喜笑”指的是一种放纵肉体欲望的享乐；描绘的是一个对神、生命、死亡、罪、审判或者神对圣洁生活的命令毫不在乎的人。无需赘言，雅各指责的就是那些拒绝神的愚昧之人的喜笑，而不是那些追求神的谦卑之人的欢乐。
雅各的信息就是，一个有得救的信心的人，也必定是真正谦卑的人，他会严肃而发自内心地与世俗的愚昧有分别，并且对罪有真正的忧伤。如果你的生命有这些特质，那么你就是一个“在主面前自卑”的人（雅4:10；约一2:15-17）。
祷告建议
求神赦免你的那些对神不够严肃认真的思想和行为。
进一步阅读
约一2:15-17
思考16节中包含的世界上的事，举几个对应的例子？你的生命中有这些问题吗？靠着神的帮助，你可以采取什么行动去胜过它们？
本文译自《Strength for Today》。作者：John MacArthur。翻译：加耳闻。
英文原文：
Realizing the Need for Seriousness
“Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom” (James 4:9b).
The humble individual will come to see that sin is not a laughing matter.
Humor has always had a place in popular culture. But in recent decades a more worldly side to humor has emerged. Situation comedies dominate the list of top-rated TV shows, but many are far from what’s really best for people to view. The shows’ contents so often pander to the immoral and tend to put down scriptural values. Meanwhile, the world also runs headlong after activities that stress fun and self-indulgence. Most people just want to enjoy life and not take anything too seriously.
God’s Word acknowledges that there is a proper time and place for joy and laughter: “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccles. 3:4). The psalmist tells of one appropriate time for laughter and happiness: “When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with joyful shouting” (Ps. 126:1-2).
But the Lord requires that anyone who would have a relationship with Him must begin on a sober, serious, humble note. In today’s Scripture, James urges sinners to exchange worldly laughter and frivolity for godly mourning and gloom over their sin. The laughter spoken of here is the kind that indicates a leisurely indulging in human desires and pleasures. It pictures people who give no serious thought to God, to life, death, sin, judgment, or God’s demands for holiness. Without mincing words, it is the laughter of fools who reject God, not that of the humble who pursue Him.
James’s message is that saving faith and proper humility consist of a serious, heartfelt separation from the folly of worldliness as well as a genuine sorrow over sin. If these characteristics are present in your life, it is fairly safe evidence that you are one of the humble (see 1 John 2:15-17).
Suggestions for Prayer
Seek forgiveness for any thoughts and actions that have kept you from a serious attitude in your walk with God.
For Further Study
Read 1 John 2:15-17.
Think of several examples under each of the categories of worldliness in verse 16. Which of these are problems for you?
What steps can you take, with God’s help, to overcome them?
