Are you Blue?

How do you spend your Sunday? According to a recent survey for many, this traditional day of rest and churchgoing has become a day to shop, but it may be taking a toll on their overall happiness. Researchers from DePaul University in Chicago and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel tracked church attendance and levels of happiness among Americans living in states that had repealed so-called Blue Laws, which once required most retailers to stay closed on Sundays.


The researchers found that allowing stores to open on Sundays was linked with a decline in church attendance among women, which led to a subsequent decline in happiness. It might be noted that for men, the repeal of Blue Laws didn’t seem to influence church attendance or levels of happiness. It could be because men do not spend much time shopping and I did not even conduct a survey. I have no data to support this statement, but perhaps the happiness of men would increase if the women were not spending more money shopping.

The study reveals that since the repeal of Blue Laws, women are about 17 percent less likely to report being “pretty happy,” and more likely to report being “not happy.” Christian leaders have said for years that participation in religious activities increases one’s happiness, but there has never been any conclusive evidence to support this belief. However this new study provides evidence to support the belief of Christian leaders.

The researchers studied data collected from the General Social Survey, an ongoing sociological survey used to collect demographic information from United States residents. They compared respondents in 10 states where Sunday shopping had been banned and then allowed, compared with six states where there had been no change in rules for retailers. The study specifically focused on the behavior of Catholics and Protestants because they were most likely to attend church on Sundays.

Why would shopping on Sunday make women less happy? There are several reasons revealed in the study. First, many women are required to work on Sundays. Before Blue Laws were repealed they were able to spend time in church and with their family. Another reason for the decline in women’s happiness can be linked to the behavior of their children who start hanging out at shopping malls on Sundays. (Of course the problem here is not with the children, but the parents who allow their children to hang out at the shopping malls.) Earlier research revealed that the repeal of Blue Laws is linked with more risk-taking behavior by teens.

Another reason that women might be less happy is that the lure of shopping is more powerful than the desire to attend church, even though it brings less happiness. One researcher stated “Shopping is kind of addictive, and even though it doesn’t make people happy, they’re doing it and they don’t return to church as much because of that. There is instant gratification from shopping compared to the benefits of church, which may occur over a longer period of time.”

I read somewhere, even though I cannot remember exactly where, that regular church attendance increases one’s emotional and physical health. Studies reveal that those who attend church regularly and are involved in ministries within the church actually live longer than those who do not. Now with this latest study we know that religious activity increases our happiness.

I guess there is a reason they call them Blue Laws. If they make us so unhappy why did we ever repeal them?

Satisfied?

     I was reading this week about Paul's arrest in Jerusalem as told to us in Acts 21 - 23.  As Paul went before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council he said "I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." 

     This statement reveals that Paul was comfortable with whatever was in his future.  If the Sanhedrin decided to put him to death, he was okay with that decision.  If the council decided to put him in prison, he was okay with that decision.  If the council decided to let him go free, he was okay with that decision.  The reason he was comfortable with whatever decision that would be made is that he knew that he had been faithful to the task or the duty that God had given to him.

     I like the way he phrased it by stating "to this day."  In other words right up to that moment he was content with what he had done.  This idea of having fulfilled his duty made me question my own duty.  If God was to call me home today, would I be satisfied with my duty to God?  Could I in good conscience say that I have done all that I could do up to this very day?

      I hate to admit it but I know that I have not done everything I could do to fulfill my duty to God.  I am not talking about working to earn my salvation as that would be impossible, but I am talking about fulfilling my responsibility as a servant of God and more importantly as a child of God.  I am afraid that I have allowed past failures and disappointments to dictate many of my present actions.  Sometimes I feel as if I am frozen in slow motion.  Or maybe I am frozen in inactivity.  I realize that in many ways I have not fulfilled my duty.

     How about you?  Do you have a clear conscience that you have fulfilled your duty to this day?  So many times we get so involved in living life that we forget what life is to be lived for!  We allow so many things to impact our lives we often need to ask are we letting the right things impact our lives?   I made a statement the other night that is relevant for this post.  Perhaps the greatest pit that any of us could find ourselves in is to have everything to live with and nothing to live for.  Who do you live for?  Are you content with your commitment to God?  Only you can answer that question.

     There is an old hymn that we do not sing in church much anymore that speaks to this question.  Look at the words of the chorus:

I am satisfied, I am satisfied,

I am satisfied with Jesus,

But the question comes to me,

As I think of Calvary,

Is my Master satisfied with me?

     How do you answer this question?  Can you like Paul say "I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day?"