(Originally posted April 11, 2011;
reposted here with minor edits
& some updates)
We are surrounded with daily messages telling us what we need to be happy, successful, and just live comfortably in this world.
Then, about once a week, we go to church and sing a hymn that declares,
“He [Jesus] is all we need.” We hear sermons that remind us to rest in
and depend on Jesus for – everything.
But then, we leave church, get into a reliable car, drive to a nearby
restaurant, easily pay for a great meal, go home to our nice house, and
putter with our toys around the yard.
Ah, summertime and the living is easy.
Marketing = Give us all your money and then you’ll be happy
The world’s propaganda (called marketing and advertising) is essentially
geared to take our money while claiming to give us satisfaction in return.
We are teased with the idea that buying this
or that will bring us the happiness we won’t find from sticking our
money into a savings account or donating it to worthy causes.
The purpose of man, we are told, is to get more stuff!
The devil in the marketing details
The devil’s propaganda is geared toward shifting our reliance away from
God onto anything else, often things that appear good: better job, loving family, good health, lots of
savings, moving closer to family, a nice house, food in the pantry, and so on.
Satan’s goal is to get us to find our identity in anything and
everything other than faith in Christ and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
These other things may all be good. The point is that they are not the point!
Our purpose in life is not about our happiness, but about serving God and enjoying him.
Giving props to the One who knocks away the props
Both what the world sells us and what Satan spins to us is really
(prop)aganda: These are all lies we use to “prop” ourselves up instead of depending on and trusting in God.
How does God tend to correct this misplaced dependence?
Simple. He knocks the props out from under us. One at a time. As often as it takes.
How do I know this? Because I’m learning it.
Learning to lean the right way
In the past year or so [2010-11], pretty much all of my props have been taken from
me. I lost my job, developed a series of serious health issues, and had
my car stolen and totaled.
- The job I lost was the one I quit a good job in Indiana and moved
to Cleveland for, among “promises” that it would include years of
stability and bonuses.
- The health I lost included issues with bronchitis that somehow led
to atrial fibrillation and flutter that required minor heart surgery and
ongoing management with meds. Trailing these was severe anemia that
required five units of blood and three iron infusions over several
months to get me back on track.
- The car I lost was a 1992 Jeep that was taken for a joy ride that
ended head-on into a tree. It was insured, but the money was needed to
cover other, more pressing bills, which means I’m still carless.
In the midst of all this, there have been no job offers, no freelance clients, and just enough unemployment to squeak by.
All of these taken together represent control over my life: it’s not in my hands!
Better than birds
Guess what? Despite fleeting moments of panic, I’m doing okay because
God is taking care of me. But I have no idea what’s next! I’ve been kind
of forced to live as Jesus directed in Matthew 6:25-34 where he said:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat
or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at
the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable
than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow.
They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all
his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes
the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into
the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do
not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or
'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and
your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you
as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
What’s the point?
Why is this happening? I don’t know. All I know is that I can trust Him to take care of me and that He is.
Maybe what’s happening to me is actually an object lesson for someone
else who’s watching my situation. Maybe it’s a training ground for
something else coming down the road. Maybe, because I was feeling so
cushy in my great-paying job, it’s God’s way of reminding me who’s
really in charge of providing my income. Maybe it’s all of those or none
of those reasons.
At times I feel like the three Hebrew dudes, Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, who, just before being tossed into a fiery furnace, said to
their king:
"O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this
matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is
able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not
serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel
3:16-18)
It is clear that I’m not in charge here; I’m not the boss of me. The
point is that all the “props” in the world are worthless. The
only right way to lean is on the everlasting arms of God the Father.
And God knows what’s best for me.
While there are days that feel a little “warmer” than others (meaning,
getting a little close to furnace), the bottom line is that my needs
have been and are being met.
Plus, in the midst of the tough stuff, there have been some very, very
good things that have happened: God brought a wonderful, loving, godly
woman into my life to whom I am now joyously married. He’s surrounded me
with wonderful, godly friends who have blessed me enormously. He has
proved to me, again, how much He cares for me.
While I have felt alone, He has never left me alone.
And although being propped up is nice, it’s more important to give props to the One who sustains our very lives:
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)
=======
Brief update: BethAnn and I are still happily married. We have two nice cars and steady income. I am still dealing with a-fib issues, but am managing with meds. Things are pretty okay! I’ll be the first to admit, I’m still learning dependency on God. She and I both are. But then I believe that this is a day-to-day kind of thing. You know, give us this day, etc., etc. Kind of like how God provided the manna in the desert, one day at a time as needed. It isn’t always fun at the time, but it’s always good in the end. How are you doing? Share your experience or tips for hanging on in the comments!
