Recently, I found myself completely buried in the self-help section of Amazon.com. The addition of our little one on top of being a young husband has presented itself with many challenging questions. 52 Things a Son needs from their Dads, Father your Son, If only He Knew: Understanding your Wives, book after book was suggested by the website. Honestly, my brain was overloaded and unable to process all the information. I was amazed at how many opinions there were on the same subjects; many of which often contradicted one another. I was pretty disheartened. Here I was, full of good intentions, but completely lacking direction (how many of us does that apply too). That evening during my devotional time I was led to read in 1 Corinthians, and of course God, as he often does, opened my eyes to a powerful word.
Do not deceive yourselves, If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight; as it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness. – 1 Corinthians 3:18-19
Did you catch that statement, “the wisdom of this world is FOOLISHNESS.” Here I was looking for the right answers in all the wrong places. How many believers are doing the same thing? My friends, we live in a time of the Self Help Gospel. According to Forbes Magazine, Americans spent over twelve billion dollars on self help books last year. We are asking the tough questions and depending on man’s temporal wisdom to give us all the right answers. In the mean time our omniscient God is being placed on the back burner. I have been guilty of this so many times and I ask myself why do we as believers not go to the author of all Wisdom when searching for the major answers of this life? It seems that we look to God as the last effort in order to solve our issues. Why is this?
I believe it is because we are afraid of what God’s answer will be for us or what sacrifices may come with that answer. There is a God we want and there is a God who is. Unfortunately for most, they are not the same God. The turning point of our lives is when we stop seeking the God we want and start seeking the God who is. The Self Help Gospel preaches self-fulfillment when true fulfillment only comes in the form of Jesus, who is the Creator of all things, wants us to be successful in our lives and will always sustain our every need (Read Matthew 6:25-34). You see, the Kingdom of God is about turning from self to God.
God is waiting to be tapped into this so called “wrestling ring” of life. He is anxious to help you and has all the answers. May we truly seek him, and lean not unto our own understanding.
Let us not just give Him our hearts, but our entire lives. – Proverbs 3:5
I challenge you today that if there is one area in your life that you are struggling with: work, family or walking with God, that you will look to God’s word first. Have a blessed day and please continue praying for me as I grow daily in the wonderful gauntlet of being a husband and a father!
