Duped!
I am increasingly realizing that I have been terribly duped for much of my life. My flesh has conspired with the American culture of hedonism to raise me on a steady diet of the consideration, “What do I feel like doing?” Some regular variations include, “What would make me more comfortable?” “What would make me happy?” and “What is easiest?” Let’s face it, a great deal of the advertising that bombards us on a daily basis is built on these kinds of questions.
And it usually starts very early. As a parent, I have a tremendous responsibility to train my child in the reality that being led by these flesh-directed considerations will not bring him to fulfillment, joy, and freedom. No small task, when the millions of mighty voices of our worldly culture are chanting in unison, “Have it your way!”
I am sick of being duped by this insidious lie that my flesh will lead me to contentment. It never has, and it never will. God, have mercy on me. Lord, free me from this self-imposed slavery. Spirit, lead me in the paths of righteousness.
And so – last night I decided to defy this old way of life. I checked my schedule for the coming day, and realized I didn’t have to be in the office until late in the day. “Yes! A perfect morning for sleeping in!!! My wife will head to school for the day with our son, leaving me to enjoy the peaceful slumber of an empty house. Beautiful!” Thus spoke the old familiar voice of Comfort. And then another voice spoke within me. A voice more removed, and yet, somehow more intimate. “You don’t need more sleep. Your son does need more time with you, though. And, haven’t you been seeking to cultivate a life of greater discipline?”
Okay, Lord, you guide my steps. And, so I said, “Hey son. How about if I drive you to school tomorrow? Would that be cool?” So this morning, I got up “early,” led my son through his morning tasks, and drove him to school. And not that there is always an immediate, tangible reward for following the voice of God rather than the voice of Comfort, but today there was. As we sat in the car line, waiting for his teacher to bring him to his classroom, we discovered he had his first loose tooth. It was a wonderful moment of growth and mystery and creation and relationship. A moment I would have missed if my lazy bum had been lying in bed, slumbering to the soothing melodies of Comfort.
5 Comments
Carole Turner · September 9, 2009 at 10:09 am
Great stuff!
Warren Baldwin · September 9, 2009 at 11:37 am
Good story. These kind of simply times with our kids provide the foundation for us to be able to enjoy the big times with them later.
Just this a.m. my high school daughter barged into my office while I was working. I mean she literally barged in with a shout trying to scare me. She and a friend were out selling ads for the high school year book. She sat and talked for about 20 minutes. Several times my mind said, “I don’t have time for this.” Then another voice said, “You ony have 2 more years before she is gone. YOU BETTER enjoy this!” So I did.
Ten years from now will I remember what I was working on? Probably not. Will I remember this wonderful visit? Probably so. That’s what matters.
Good post.
WB
Roger Butner · September 9, 2009 at 2:59 pm
And thanks for sharing your great story, as well, Warren! That’s what I’m talkin’ about.
Roger Butner · September 10, 2009 at 10:10 am
Based on the Facebook feedback and commentary yesterday after this post, I thought it would be helpful to share some follow-up back here at the source.
I will begin by quoting Hal Runkel, of ScreamFree Living, who says, “The recipe for failure is to sacrifice what I want MOST for what I want RIGHT NOW.” That poignant statement is at the heart of the point I was making in the above post.
The deepest longings of my heart and soul may be for very good things. In fact, I believe many of those deepest longings were implanted there by God, Him Self. Proactively seeking to satisfy these longings will bring my life to purpose, freedom, and joy like nothing else can.
But the whims of my Flesh, the voice of Comfort, and the billboards of hedonism are constantly conspiring to convince me that what is most important is to satisfy the cravings of right now, rather than exercising the discipline required to attain the deepest longings of my heart. Quite often, the path to deeper fulfillment is longer and harder, while the path to (temporarily) satisfying the Flesh is quick and easy. Perhaps a few examples will help illustrate my point.
I know I will feel better in so many ways if I do the work to lose 30-40 pounds. But this ridiculous helping of “junk food” will make me feel better right now. Dig in!
I really want deep sexual fulfillment – the kind that can only come from truly “knowing” someone. But maintaining healthy intimacy with my wife is hard, and there are so many other seemingly satisfying images available…
I long for peace in my life, but there are challenges and difficulties to be faced in order to achieve real peace. But you know, the booze or drugs will bring me a sense of peace right now. Time to check out.
I really want some basic financial security for my self and my family. Seems like that is getting tougher than ever. This shortcut over here may sacrifice my integrity, but it will put some serious cashflow back in play right now. Cha-ching!
We could come up with numerous other examples, and I hope these glaring examples haven’t detracted from my original point of how insidious the urge can be to take the easy path of comfort every day rather than to walk the difficult path of discipline and true fulfillment. May God bless you with the grace to walk the higher road in your life’s journey.
Melody · September 18, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Thanks, Roger for saying the hard stuff and getting down to the meat of the matter when it comes to what our real motivations are in life.