 “I can’t help the way I am.” “It’s purely chemical.” “It’s the way I was raised.” “It’s my family history.” “It’s not my fault.” We’re often asked the question, “When life hurts, where do you turn?” It’s a good question, and it challenges us to learn to turn to Christ in the hard moments of life. But I want to pose a slightly different question to you today. “When life hurts, who do you blame?”
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 “Life is pain.” – The Princess Bride
We live in a world of instant gratification. We want what we want and we want it now. But there’s a danger in getting comfortable with (and then beginning to expect) quick fixes. Unfortunately, when things aren’t easy or quick, we can be prone toward anger and we can often be guilty of taking our anger out on those around us. Our discouragement and frustration usually end in giving up (failure to overcome our struggles) and giving in (isolating and indulging ourselves to deal with the failure). Our reaction to hardship in life reveals the biggest idol we all struggle with: a pain- and problem-free life. On the surface, this seems like it shouldn’t be an idol. It seems like a good thing. And we certainly don’t want to have a pain- and problem-FILLED life. So what’s the problem here? The problem is that when we fail to surrender this desire for ease and comfort, we can be guilty of making decisions based on whether we believe it will increase our ease and comfort or not, rather than based on God’s goodness, love, and ability to provide for us regardless of our circumstances. When we have a goal of living a pain- and problem-free life, we begin to do whatever it takes to get it – whatever the cost.  We all like to talk about God being all that we need, but the sad reality is that while we are good at talking about God being all we need, many of us are living as though God is not all we need. Yes, God is enough. But if we’re really going to be happy, we also need this relationship. Yes, God is enough. But if we’re really going to be content, we also need to live in this particular neighborhood. Yes, God is enough. But if we’re really going to show kindness to those around us, they need to show us respect back. Yes, God is enough. But when hurt and disappointment enter my life, we really need to be able to distract from it by indulging in junk food, TV, shopping, or maybe even a substance. Yes, God is enough. But. BLIND SPOTSI think one of the biggest blind spots many of us possess in life is idolatry. After all, we don’t often see people worshiping blocks of wood or statues of gold, so we find it easy to brush off idolatry as something from Biblical times that’s not really an issue anymore.
The result? At worst, we can be guilty of dismissing idolatry as a modern-day issue altogether. At best, we may find ourselves resorting to the Sunday-school teaching of associating idols with things such as video games, TV, and money. And while to a certain extent that can be true, the truth is that the most dangerous idols we worship are not physical objects.  Hope is a funny thing. It can lead to excitement, joy, and peace. But hope can also lead to despair, discouragement, and defeat. Hope fulfilled is the best thing in the world. Hope disappointed is the worst thing in the world. DANGER AHEADWhen Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, |
bethany HARRISIn a word: passionate. Archives
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