On the melancholy express there are many different groups of people riding along their melancholy way. Sometimes they get up in the morning and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they care and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they try feebly to get off but don't. The definition of melancholy is: "a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause". Causes us to wonder if those who ride the express really have a relationship with God or not. Where is the hope that is set in belonging to Jesus? Has it gone away as well as faith? On the melancholy express you don't have to be responsible, take your life seriously, attend to anything that would demand a decision and you have many around you to reinforce your place. Satan loves the melancholy express because this train keeps the Christian ineffective. The question that comes to my mind is how exactly do people get on the train in the first place? There's got to be a reason for this phenomena in the world of the believer. I've been on the train myself off and on and have a bit of experience to share.
The first and foremost problem that I encountered that eventually led to my hopping on the express was when I came home from the mission field and saw how pathetic and resistant the Christian church was. Their were whole denominations who resisted any help from God as they had already defined how the church was to conduct themselves. They even had laws and by-laws written up on what you could and couldn't do within their church. It certainly wasn't God's church. The manmade church is an offense to God. Doing what little they could their was smugness in their belief that they had somehow arrived and said the final word. The second problem that I encountered was the churches not only shutting the door to the Holy Spirit but they also shut the door on anyone who wasn't "in the box". Since I had never been in a "church" prior to my conversion on the mission field, I didn't have any experience and thought that they certainly must be representative of God's plan and purpose. Nope. They didn't. Worse yet, the people thought they had also arrived. What they did was get on the melancholy express and never got off. Now, to be fair, I'm not classifying EVERYONE in this mold. But, there are so many churches that do fit and do not have God as their head.
Worn down by that environment I wished I was back on the mission field where the purpose and plan of God was the only focus. Yet, I walked onto the train one day and lived there for quite some time. What people didn't know (and I certainly didn't know either) was that the Holy Spirit was on that train as well stirring the hearts of the people and showing them the way off the train. After a significant time I too exited the train. Here I am blog and all. You may know someone who is on the train. Perhaps you are on the train. Everyone can get off the train. Yes, everyone can get off the train and stay off the train. There is a cost. The costs are the ramifications of being a connected and dedicated follower of Jesus and no one else. You will not be comfortable with less should you get off the train. Fellow Christians will try to persuade you to get back on the train. There will be many tactics used and yes, you may relapse. I've done that too. The Holy Spirit has been called the hound of heaven for a reason. He sees you created in the image of God and intent on revealing that image to you. Staying on the train is like trying to use your phone in a place where you have no reception or connectivity. So, what are you going to do? After you are done thinking there is still one thing you need to do. Yep! It's always your choice.
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