18/08/2026
Why Do Christians Think the More Spiritual They Are, the Sadder They Must Look?” — Pastor Femi Lazarus
Pastor Femi Lazarus has challenged the idea that Christians must appear serious, sad or withdrawn to demonstrate that they are spiritually mature.
According to him, some believers have mistakenly associated spirituality with outward sadness, particularly after spending extended periods praying or engaging in other spiritual activities.
“Why is it that now Christians feel that the more spiritual they are, the more sad they must look? That’s religion,” he said.
Lazarus argued that genuine spirituality does not require dramatic behaviour to convince others that someone is “on fire” for God.
“Spirituality is not drama,” he said, comparing spiritual power to electricity flowing through a wire. The wire does not necessarily look different simply because electricity is passing through it, but its power becomes evident when encountered.
He identified joy as one of the important signs of Christian maturity.
“One of the ways you know a mature Christian is joy,” Lazarus said, referencing the biblical teaching about drawing from the wells of salvation with joy.
He also questioned the idea that someone can continually claim to possess inner joy while never showing any outward expression of happiness.
Using ripe fruit as an illustration, Lazarus explained that what exists internally should eventually produce visible evidence externally.
He concluded that thanksgiving and the Christian life should be accompanied by genuine joy rather than a deliberately gloomy appearance presented as evidence of spirituality.
