A woman came into a courtroom asking for orders against her ex-husband. She was haggard with emotion, nervous and upset to the point that she seemed ill. Trembling, she related at length how bad her ex-husband was, how ever since their divorce he had been poisoning her son’s mind against her and was constantly interfering with their relationship.
She seemed a bit old to have a young child at home, so the attorney interrupted and asked the age of her son.
"He’s just turned 32," she said.
"Oh," said the attorney, "And how long ago was the divorce?"
"About 17 years," she said.
"About 17 years," she said.
This woman had made her divorce a career, a way of life!
Do you know of anyone like this? Does this sound like anyone you know? Is it you?
This woman and many like her are trapped in a prison of idolatry - because the focus here is herself. It is her story, her life, her topic - I can tell you that people avoid this woman like the plague because of her self-centeredness. Wholeness will never come to her until she surrenders - and it is true for each one of us too - wholeness, health, life will never come to us until we surrender that which is keeping us the center of our own attention.
Truth is it isn't just about the negative things like divorce, death, depression, addictions, that keep us in the prison of self. Good things like our families, churches, jobs, money, possessions also keep us from being free. These must be surrendered just like the bad things, they keep us focused on ourselves, instead of God.
Surrender today.
Do you know of anyone like this? Does this sound like anyone you know? Is it you?
This woman and many like her are trapped in a prison of idolatry - because the focus here is herself. It is her story, her life, her topic - I can tell you that people avoid this woman like the plague because of her self-centeredness. Wholeness will never come to her until she surrenders - and it is true for each one of us too - wholeness, health, life will never come to us until we surrender that which is keeping us the center of our own attention.
Truth is it isn't just about the negative things like divorce, death, depression, addictions, that keep us in the prison of self. Good things like our families, churches, jobs, money, possessions also keep us from being free. These must be surrendered just like the bad things, they keep us focused on ourselves, instead of God.
Surrender today.
Dear Pastor Dude,
ReplyDeleteGreat insight! I know we all need to keep our eyes fixed on the author of our faith: Jesus Christ, so that we don't get sidetracked and self-centered. Thanks for the good reminders - Faith Gallup, LCSW, Northlight Counseling, LLC