The Futility of Analyzing the Darkness…

   If you are like me, and I’m assuming you are, then you like to take the time to try to figure out why things are going wrong or perhaps why you aren’t getting the results you desire.  And while it is noble to assume responsibility and take matters into your own hands, there is a fly in the ointment that needs to be plucked out!

Have you ever had the misfortune of having to try to find something in the dark?  No matter how much you rummage and feel and rummage and feel, depending upon the space constraints, you most likely won’t be able to “find” that missing object.  But, if you can get a flashlight, (that actually has batteries that work – smile) what a difference that makes!  You lament over the 1/2 hour you wasted searching when all you needed was some light.  Life is like that, my friends.  Our Information Age and that dandy little resource called, “Google” has convinced us all that we can find an answer to any problem if we just conduct enough research.  So, we read this book and study that article and take that course and are no better off for trying.  And following the advice of what we read, we take ourselves to task.  “It must be a lack of discipline!” we exclaim and start beating ourselves up for not having enough discipline.  Our problem remains…  “It’s from being selfish and not giving to others!” we shout, and after beating ourselves up we then force ourselves into giving more.  Our problem remains…  “It’s because I’m overweight or lack a degree or got a bad haircut or don’t have enough money…” we confess and so after beating ourselves up some more we lose the weight and get the degree and shave our heads and earn more money…  Our problem remains.  “I’m just not happy or fulfilled or at peace or content” we acquiesce and after more self beat-downs we read books on getting happy and finding fulfillment and getting peaceful and finding contentment.   Our problem remains…  Now I might add, there’s nothing wrong with improving ourselves or getting healthier or making more money or whatever that points to “getting better” but our problem, our core problem just won’t be solved that way.  Analyzing darkness just leads to more and more darkness.  And if your feelings are still intact, you are going to reach a point where you simply give up and join the rest of the futile herd concluding, “life is hard” – “life is a bi***  –  “life sucks” etc. etc.  Then you become cynical and bitter and hurt and resign yourself to a life of medicated existence, where you no longer have to feel…

So, what is the good news?  The good news is that there is a solution to every problem you will ever encounter but you’ve got to get your head out of that darkness to see it.  God, who graciously invented life, is completely aware of every negative scenario that you have ever encountered.  He sees your dilemma.  He feels your pain.  He understands your futility.  And best of all, He earnestly seeks to deliver you from that bondage!   And accordingly, the first clue to your escape, involves understanding who God is…  God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  Your answers my friend, are going to show up in the light!  Our incessant focus on what is wrong with us – is our problem!  We drive ourselves batty rummaging through that darkness looking for a solution that we will never find in that darkness.  Darkness is a gigantic illusion; a riddle that cannot be solved by your human intelligence.  Darkness draws you in, then shuffles you around and around and the next thing you know you have been living for the last twenty years in bondage to some “issue” or some “problem.”  Ughhhh…  However, darkness is gone just as quickly as you turn on the lights!  Focusing on what is wrong just leads to more and more wrong.  Focusing on your apparent lack just leads to more and more lack.  What you focus upon is what you get and hence the illusion lives on…

Thus the grand and glorious solution to every damnable thing that has put you in chains is to focus on the light.  Focus on what is good in your life and you will get more and more good.  Focus on what you do have (and if you are honest you probably have a lot) and you will receive more and more.  Be grateful to God for the things you know He did for you and you will find more and more things show up to be grateful for!  Be thankful that you can read something like this and that there’s still hope for you going forward.  Look for the good in that job or your spouse or your kids and you are going to find it.

Often you will find that the real solution to your problem had nothing to do with what you thought it was.  That’s why you remained stuck…  Light exposes darkness for what it is – an illusion.  And everything that darkness has ever offered anyone is a lie that ends with you not getting what you really wanted anyway.  Light however, gives exactly what it offers to give and there’s never a downside or strings attached with it.  That’s God my friends, the goodness of God.

So don’t stop reading and learning and pursuing.  Just remember to focus on what’s good..  You overcome weakness by focusing on your strengths.  You overcome evil with good.  The next time you find yourself dwelling on everything that isn’t right with your life, STOP IT!  Change your subject of focus to light.  “Dwelling on the darkness won’t bring forth the light!” (Dr. VPW)

Surely you have a flashlight with batteries somewhere, don’t you?

Just some good thoughts…