Soma

This morning, I was reading CNN’s article on the closure of the Bay Bridge (a story I’m fascinated by as a native of the Bay Area), and there was one sentence that stuck out to me:

Crews working on the bridge are replacing four steel rods, one of which failed and caused two rods to fall onto the bridge’s deck…Vibrations in the rods, affected by strong winds, caused the break.

In the article, this additional information is then provided:

The pieces that fell, which include a cross beam, came from a section that was repaired during Labor Day weekend, when crews worked almost around the clock to fix a crack.

If nothing sticks out to you, reread the two quotes and then ask yourself this question: “What caused the break?”  The article explicitly states that it was vibrations as a result of the wind that caused the break in the bridge.  Did a hurricane sweep through the Bay Area that we were unaware of?  Did a tornado sweep across the Bay, slamming into the bridge?  “No,” you say, “but there were some fairly strong winds in the Bay Area over the last week.”  But, are those winds what caused the break?

When building the bridge, engineers were paid millions of dollars to make sure that fairly strong winds could not break the bridge that would eventually carry upwards of 250,000 cars a day.  Over the past number of decades workers, engineers, and inspectors have been paid millions of dollars to assure that the bridge is kept up and repaired when needed.  The pieces (the article seems to say) just happened to fall from the same section where workers had (in a rush mind you) repaired a crack less than two months ago.  But none of the inspectors, or engineers, or repair men should lose any sleep over the incident…because it was the wind that caused the break.

To be honest with you, I don’t really care about the bridge or the article.  I’m sure (or I’m at least optimistically hoping) that all the appropriate people are taking the incident on the Bay Bridge seriously, but it was the wording of the article that stuck out to me because it is the exact kind of wording we use when discussing issues of the heart.

Your kids cause you to be angry, stress causes you to retreat to your sins of escapism, uncertainty causes you to be anxious, a less than ideal circumstance causes you to covet…just like the “vibrations in the rods, affected by strong winds, caused the break” in the Bay Bridge.

Just as the real issue in the Bay Bridge was a weakened structure and insufficient repairs, not the wind…so the real issue in your life that causes you to sin is not your kids, stress, uncertainty, or any other circumstance…the real issue is in your heart.

It would be absurd to leave the Bay Bridge as it is and hope that the wind doesn’t come back, or to build some sort of gigantic wall to shield the bridge from the wind…ultimately, the problem is in the structure of the bridge, and it needs to be fixed.  Similarly, it would be absurd to try to avoid circumstances in life that are not ideal or try to figure out a way (using boundaries or any other mechanism) to shield yourself from the affects of living in a fallen world…ultimately, the problem is in your heart, and it needs to be fixed.

Praise God that He sent Jesus Christ in the flesh and has given us the gift of His Spirit for this exact reason.  He wants to forgive, heal, mend, sanctify and purify our hearts so that He may truly deal with the problems that are causing damage in our lives.  But it all starts by recognizing that the problem is not outside of us, but inside of us.  We are not made to sin by circumstances and people outside of us, but we sin because we are broken sinners (forgiven and sanctified by grace).  It starts by remembering, the wind is not the problem.

Have you ever said anything like this?

“I’ve tried to stop so many times, but somehow I’m still end up in front of the computer surfing websites.”

“Cold showers, prayer, avoiding situations—I’ve tried everything. Is there any hope for me?”

“I know I should get help, but I am too ashamed.”

“I thought only men struggled with pornography, but I spend way too much time in my own little fantasy world.”

If you have, it’s likely that you are feeling trapped by an addiction to pornography and sexual fantasies. You feel guilty and ashamed, but you just can’t seem to stop. Maybe you are starting to notice that your relationships with the real people in your life are being affected by your struggle.

There is no magic bullet to free you from your addiction, but when you ask Jesus for help, he will come to you mercifully and firmly. Jesus welcomes all kinds of strugglers into his kingdom, and his Spirit will provide the deep down change you long for.

Change happens when you face your behavior honestly, understand the roots of your behavior, and then go to God to work true change in your life. The true change that comes from God will affect not only your behavior, but your imagination and desire life. Do you believe God can do this? Take a step of faith; read this booklet, and ask God to use it to begin to change you.

At the risk of overusing the name “David Powlison” on this blog, I really thought it was important to share with you this pair of articles he wrote on overcoming a pornography addiction.  This is a serious issue for many people, and Powlison’s Christ-centered, practical insights can provide hope even in the midst of some of the darkest moments.  Here are links to the two parts:

Part 1

Part 2

(As a side note: I’ve decided to stop apologizing every time I write a blog entry after a 1-2 week hiatus.  The truth is, when priorities get tight, this is one of the first things to go by the wayside…and that’s not out of neglect, but by choice…and there’s no apology required for that.)

HT: JT

After I posted my last entry on contentment, I felt the need to make something absolutely and explicitly clear.  In saying that one of the first steps, before God, in making big decisions is contentment, I am in no way saying “If you are content, God will eventually give you what you want.”  That is a lie.

To be honest with you, I don’t completely understand why God provided our family with a home on the Westside, I don’t know why I’ve been blessed with the wife I have, I don’t know why God has graciously allowed me to pastor with a great friend who is as gifted and humble as Brian, but this I know for sure: it was NOT a reward for being content or any other act of service or godly mindset.  Just like everything else that has ever been given to us, our children, our health, our food, our friends, everything is a free gift from a gracious and loving Father.  And if He were to (and when He does) withhold (or take away) any of those gifts from us, we can know that it is because He knows best and has our ultimate good and ultimate joy in view.  I don’t understand why I’ve been blessed with my wife, and I also don’t understand why my mother was taken away from us so early…but this I do know, my God is all powerful, His decisions are perfect, and HE is all I need…in Him I find contentment.

To view anything in our lives, a car, a home, food, a job, family, as something that we have earned from God, or even as a reward for our righteous living is to reflect a theology that is an absolute lie from the deepest, most gruesome pit of hell.  God gives and takes away for his own perfect purposes as a loving Father who always knows best, not as a ticket-redeemer behind the counter at Chucky Cheese.  He alone is enough!

I may be a part of the problem by re-posting this, but I believe that if you take 7 minutes to watch this video from Josh Harris it will save you ten times that much time this week…at least if you’re willing to listen.

HT: Josh Harris