Just thought I'd toss out some random thoughts this evening.
What do you think it says to God when we "need" a shot of whiskey, a cold beer, or a night cap after a long stressful day? Are we saying to God that we can't make it without some thing to relieve the stress? Maybe it is a "shot" of exercise or some other thing. Is it even possible that we are saying that He isn't enough? That we need this thing to cope with the world more than we need God to cope?
How can we so organize His Word and Wisdom so that we can take a "shot" when we need to calm our soul, have some peace, gain perspective, and eliminate our stress or distress? We should take particular cautions within ourselves to know we don't need any single thing except God. We must learn to depend upon Him to be our "all in all". Do we "cast all our cares upon Him" or do we cast them all into a bottle?
Is your Lord the real conqueror of everything in your life?
What do you think it says to God when we "need" a shot of whiskey, a cold beer, or a night cap after a long stressful day? Are we saying to God that we can't make it without some thing to relieve the stress? Maybe it is a "shot" of exercise or some other thing. Is it even possible that we are saying that He isn't enough? That we need this thing to cope with the world more than we need God to cope?
How can we so organize His Word and Wisdom so that we can take a "shot" when we need to calm our soul, have some peace, gain perspective, and eliminate our stress or distress? We should take particular cautions within ourselves to know we don't need any single thing except God. We must learn to depend upon Him to be our "all in all". Do we "cast all our cares upon Him" or do we cast them all into a bottle?
Is your Lord the real conqueror of everything in your life?
3 comments:
Yes, we are to rely on Him for everything. So where do you draw the line? No Tylenol for a headache? No epidural for child birth? Just asking...
I see where you could take it that way and where some do! We are aware of those who refuse medicine and medical help for their dying children. Very foolish in my opinion. I really wasn't considering a "shot" or whatever as medicine, but maybe I should.
I guess I was thinking that we too often decide that "we deserve a break today" or we need something "to settle our nerves" or we for some reason are just being overcome by life. Why is my first thought not on grabbing a promise of God? Why don't I "take a shot" from the Word and dwell on it first? Why isn't that my nature? Am I saying to God that He is not first in my needs list by doing this? I think so.
I don't think its wrong to have a drink but we must be sure we are reaching for God first knowing He is all we need.
Tis is an excellent question. I think it noteworthy that Jesus wasn't chicken - he wasn't afraid to tell people what was important. At his first miracle, he could have refused and said, no alcohol will become a criutch of chemical dependency and I can't support that. I'll make you pure water...
I think it interesting when people of some generations refuse to avail themselves to medical assistance. Many refuse to take anything having to do with antidressants or other mental or emotional drugs, for example, but are quick to take medication for physical ailments. Again, Jesus could have said, take Tylenol for a sore throat, but antidepressants indicate a lack of faith.
I'm not suggesting we turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with life. Any crutch is to take our eyes off of Jesus and when we do we sink into the storms of life just as Peter did when we began to sink and become afraid of the storm in Matthew 14.
Conversely to adopt an additude of self reliance, pick-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps philosophy is still to miss the mark and become just like the Pharisees that Jesus raged against. They failed to see the Messiah because they had their head down focused on obeying laws and saving themselves.
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