We live in a world where where nearly every problem or inconvenience can be solved by one, simple action...taking a pill
Regardless of your ailment, be it physical, mental, or emotional, the pharmaceutical realm has an answer for you!
Got a headache? Grab an ibuprofen...
Stomach pains? Take some Tums...
Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea? Yay Pepto Bismol!
Can't focus? Throw down a ritalin...
Felling depressed? Pop a prozac...
Don't want to get pregnant? There's a pill for that you know?
It is quick, fast, usually painless, and completely under our control.
What more could we ask for? It is no surprise that a "down the hatch and off the mind" understanding of life is so appealing.
But before you think that I'm here to tell you to stop taking any medicine and start drinking herbal tea and combining rare spices to cure diseases, please know that my problem is not with the pharmaceutical world.
What more could we ask for? It is no surprise that a "down the hatch and off the mind" understanding of life is so appealing.
But before you think that I'm here to tell you to stop taking any medicine and start drinking herbal tea and combining rare spices to cure diseases, please know that my problem is not with the pharmaceutical world.
In fact, I am very thankful for the medical discoveries that have brought us to the world we live in today. All these drugs I've mentioned serve good purposes and have helped people immensely. I only bring this topic up to reveal the ways that it can and has influenced our thinking in other areas of life.
Our belief that many problems can and should be answered with a glass of water and the gulp of a pill can lead us to also believe that every part of our lives should be quick, easy, and under our control.
No doubt this way of thinking has infiltrated the realm of Christianity.
No doubt this way of thinking has infiltrated the realm of Christianity.
Having a bad day? Read your Bible...
Got a test in 10 minutes you haven't studied for? Say a prayer...
Feeling guilty over something you've done? Go to church...
While each of these responses are good in and of themselves, the motivations that lead us to them can still be sinful. If you only read your Bible out of fear that God might "punish" you, or only pray after all your own efforts have failed, or only go to church to feel better about yourself, then you are treating God just like that bottle of aspirin in your medicine cabinet. If we act as though God is a pill that can be swallowed at our convenience and on our command then the ways we think about Him and our relationship with Him will become perverted and unbiblical.
This is anything but what God intended.
God did not call Abraham up from his family and say, "Oh hey! I'm God by the way, just wanted to let you know. I created the world and everything in it, no big deal. You go do what you want, but if you get into trouble just let me know and I'll try my best to help you out."
God did not save the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, give them His number and say, "Alright, you're on your own from here. I heard there's some nice land around here somewhere. Just give me a call if you need me."
And Jesus did not come into the world to say to us, "You see, I'm God's son. I came here to help you out if you need it. Other than that, you can just go about your daily business, and if things go wrong or if you start to feel bad about yourself, just give me a holler and I'll give you a hand."
God called Abraham not so Abraham could have a genie in a lam, but to begin a relationship with Him.
God saved Israel not to give them a helping hand and let them go on their merry way, but to make Himself a people who would be His own and through whom He would build a relationship with the world. Jesus did not come to make us feel better about ourselves, but to show us just how sinful and in need of a savior we are.
God's purpose was never to lend us a helping hand and then let us go about our own business, His purpose is to show us how helpless and broken we are. He is not and has never been a pill we take at our own discretion. That implies that we are the ones who rule over Him.
In reality, we are a paralytic stranded in the desert dying of thirst and hunger, unable to save ourselves. God sees us in our helpless state, has mercy on us, picks us up, carries us to safety, feeds us by his own hands, and cares for our every need for the remainder of our lives. He is, in fact, the one who rules over us. Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
The reason this is so important to understand is because when we treat God like a prescription, we not only demean Him, we completely miss out on the fullness of life that is being offered to us every moment of every day.God saved us so that we could have a relationship with Him. He did that because He knows that a full, committed relationship with Him is the only thing that can bring us true happiness and satisfaction.
Jesus makes it very clear when he says, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3)
Yes, eternal life actually has nothing to do with us or our own desires, goals, achievements, and standards...it has everything to do with knowing God.
Treating God like a pill will never allow us to know God in his fullness. It will only cause us more frustration as we work harder and harder to provide for ourselves and try use God as a helpful "pick me up" when things get difficult.
I sincerely believe that growing in one's knowledge of God is the single greatest ambition a Christian can aspire toward.As one grows in their knowledge of God, so they grow in their understanding of eternal life.
And in the end, what can be more important than the eternal?
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This is anything but what God intended.
God did not call Abraham up from his family and say, "Oh hey! I'm God by the way, just wanted to let you know. I created the world and everything in it, no big deal. You go do what you want, but if you get into trouble just let me know and I'll try my best to help you out."
God did not save the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, give them His number and say, "Alright, you're on your own from here. I heard there's some nice land around here somewhere. Just give me a call if you need me."
And Jesus did not come into the world to say to us, "You see, I'm God's son. I came here to help you out if you need it. Other than that, you can just go about your daily business, and if things go wrong or if you start to feel bad about yourself, just give me a holler and I'll give you a hand."
God called Abraham not so Abraham could have a genie in a lam, but to begin a relationship with Him.
God saved Israel not to give them a helping hand and let them go on their merry way, but to make Himself a people who would be His own and through whom He would build a relationship with the world. Jesus did not come to make us feel better about ourselves, but to show us just how sinful and in need of a savior we are.
God's purpose was never to lend us a helping hand and then let us go about our own business, His purpose is to show us how helpless and broken we are. He is not and has never been a pill we take at our own discretion. That implies that we are the ones who rule over Him.
In reality, we are a paralytic stranded in the desert dying of thirst and hunger, unable to save ourselves. God sees us in our helpless state, has mercy on us, picks us up, carries us to safety, feeds us by his own hands, and cares for our every need for the remainder of our lives. He is, in fact, the one who rules over us. Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
The reason this is so important to understand is because when we treat God like a prescription, we not only demean Him, we completely miss out on the fullness of life that is being offered to us every moment of every day.God saved us so that we could have a relationship with Him. He did that because He knows that a full, committed relationship with Him is the only thing that can bring us true happiness and satisfaction.
Jesus makes it very clear when he says, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3)
Yes, eternal life actually has nothing to do with us or our own desires, goals, achievements, and standards...it has everything to do with knowing God.
Treating God like a pill will never allow us to know God in his fullness. It will only cause us more frustration as we work harder and harder to provide for ourselves and try use God as a helpful "pick me up" when things get difficult.
I sincerely believe that growing in one's knowledge of God is the single greatest ambition a Christian can aspire toward.As one grows in their knowledge of God, so they grow in their understanding of eternal life.
And in the end, what can be more important than the eternal?
Like this post? Hate this post? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!
Hey Marlin,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know that I thought your post did a good job at putting the way we view God in to perspective. I think it is easy to see God as the quick answer to our problems when we're struggling; it's much harder to consistently seek Him and pursue a relationship, but it's certainly more rewarding (the relationship itself, when it's not focused on the things we 'get' out of it). I liked how you compared our last-minute prayers and quick Bible reads to using God like a pill. It paints a powerful picture and is really convicting. Thank you for sharing! I hope you and Caroline are doing well! (Hello, Caroline!)