My good friend Chris Brekke does a thrice-weekly on-line meditation, similar to these EmailMeditations. His blog is called “Seasoned Hope” and can be seen at: https://pcbrek2020.wordpress.com/ . Today’s meditation is a repost of his March 2 posting. Thanks, Chris!
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Hypothetically, in some dark reality, if you were a villain out to ruin the world, what would be your nefarious plan? This is a strange and unpleasant question, but I hope it will lead to something beneficial. Let’s say that WWIII is off the table (despite some people fearing a nuclear nightmare). And let’s say an arch-fiend cannot unleash a global pandemic worse than Covid. And let’s say that it’s not time yet for a full-on antichrist evil Armageddon. How could our world be gradually and daily ruined, such that the goodness of God and the joy of life would be waylaid? You may not want to even think about this, so let me throw three wicked strategies your way, in hopes that you will steer clear. Lent, after all, is the season for dealing with sin and temptation as we ready ourselves for glorious victory at Easter.
Strategy #1: Animus. If ill-will could be planted in our hearts, such that we are always riled up at others and angry in the head… that would be ruinous. There’s a lot of this, I’m sorry to say. God’s enemy, the Devil, is very good at spawning animus. There’s a book by John Bevere that deals directly with this. The Bait of Satan gives example after example of this dark play. If the Adversary can get you offended, he’s got you. If you can feel personally mistreated, and can focus your intense anger at someone or some situation, it may feel justified… but it’s a negative place to be. Ask God to guard your heart and enlighten your mind. Stay grateful, not offended. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Strategy #2: Busyness. What? This doesn’t sound so bad. Shouldn’t we be busy? Well… it depends. Good busy is good. If we are busy loving and serving, working and helping, that’s good. But if it is just busyness as a distraction from actual life, then that’s bad. Jonathon Haidt, a well-known social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, says that a whole generation of young people are getting seriously damaged via the smart phone. Statistics show mental illness, suicides, anxiety, and depression rates among that generation are soaring. Far too many young people are zombie-like distracted; not undone by violence, but by convenience. The pocket-demon of that phone occupies more and more of their time. Of course, there are lots of other ways that busyness can distract us, but the doom scrolling and brain rot of that phone does trap way too many of us. Some might say that “ruins the world” is too strong, but the damage to individuals and relationships is real.
Strategy #3. Comfort. If busyness entangles many of the young, might “comfort” ruin many of the older? We can get very focused on our own comfort and control. We want life our way, and our creature comforts are readily available. We want to stay in our comfort zone and have personal control of our spaces and our agendas. This can stifle our service to a world in need and our service to the Lord. We can get very risk-averse, and just try to maintain the status quo rather than stepping out in faith. Could the older generation be ruined– or at least prevented from doing the great things that we could do– by too great a need for comfort? Comfort is not to be our goal nor our God.
Well…. there’s three. A, B and C—Animus, Busyness, and Comfort. I reckon that there are lots of other ways to ruin the world and block up the blessings of the Lord. Do sharpen up your awareness of how the diabolical one is out to ruin you. The Bible’s warning still fits us: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). Thwart his ploys.
Instead: Go in peace and serve the Lord
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I Peter 5:8 — Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
James 4:7 — Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Psalm 100:2-3 — Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with thanksgiving! Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
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O God, light of the hearts that see you, life of the souls that love you, strength of the thoughts that seek you: to turn from you is to fall, to turn to you is to rise, to abide in you is to stand fast forever. Although we are unworthy to approach you, or to ask anything at all of you, grant us your grace and blessing for the sake of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
–Book of Common Worship, 1906
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