“We push the limits and we play God. The same evil one lurks and feeds us lies, trapping us in perpetual cycles of pain. Somewhere along the way we’ve started to believe that our own stories of brokenness define who we are.”- Meredith McDaniel
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and she ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”- Genesis 3:6 (NIV)
In Chapter 2 of In Want + Plenty, Meredith McDaniel notes that, in the in-between space this side of heaven, we live in a world that offers us a great deal. Yet, the world offers precious little in its ability to sate our deepest cravings. As a result, time occur in life when either the state of the world or of our hearts leaves us hesitant to believe we’ll ever find relief.
Certainly, God never intended this when He created us. However, when we believe our brokenness defines us, our current story line = our default mode. Therefore, we swallow the lie that our brokenness always binds us. That our unhealthy habits are inevitable. And, as the serpent suggested in Eden, God’s withholding something.
But, in contrast to our spiritual slavery,we all have a story within God’s grander story. When we focus on our pain and aching, we disconsolate from others and from God. In his book Shattered Dreams, Larry Crabb puts our pain in perspective:
“Solid ground beneath the pain of shattered dreams is the revelation of mystery; it is the realization that it’s more difficult for Christ to restrain himself from making all our dreams come true than for us to watch them shatter. At our moment of worst pain, Jesus’ pain is worse.”
Today’s question: At what times do you feel tempted to push the limits and play God? Please share.
Coming Monday: the May Short Meditation – “Be patient through dry spells”
Tomorrow’s blog: “Until we hit rock bottom – why wait?”
