“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” Ps. 73:25
Training wheels are designed to be temporary guides to help the rider learn balance and stability. Though, in just a short while the rider gets accustomed to the training wheels and can become utterly dependent upon them, deceiving themselves into thinking that they are truly and effectively riding the bicycle. Only once the training wheels are removed does the tragedy become painfully evident to the rider that they have not in fact been truly riding the bike.
In this unprecedented time we have seen this pandemic rip through the world with the fear that accompanies it, tearing apart what was once ‘normal’ life. We are all living day by day, adapting to and learning a new normal. But as we all look forward to a time when these days are behind us, let us not be so quick to ignore the opportunities that can be mined out of this dark time. We as Christians tend to put our faith and dependency upon the tangible things of this world in place of our true God. It is in these times when our normal is taken away we can see more clearly just what we have built our life and dependency upon.
How is your relationship with God now that daily life has been stripped of the busyness and routine? Is your joy dependent upon your paycheck or your health? How is your peace, held up by the stock markets or the media? Is your hope and contentment contingent upon your next vacation or any other numerous comforts of this life? If you are finding yourself unhappy with your life now that life has lost its chaotic rush, you should rejoice. We have been blessed with this opportunity from God to see what really matters. C.S. Lewis states in his book, Mere Christianity
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
The pleasures and comforts of this world were never meant to satisfy our souls desire. They are only here to point to something better. These times must cause us to refocus our hearts, minds and souls on the fact that we are awaiting a kingdom far better than this world. Even though everything be taken away from us, with Christ we still have far more than this life could ever offer. Let us become like the psalmist and boldly proclaim in truth that there is nothing on this earth we desire that compares to Jesus. Lewis continues and states
“I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.”
So what have you been depending on? What earthly luxuries have caused you to lose sight of the true prize? What country are you truly a citizen of?