Most people do not chase mirages. They may look good and refreshing from a distance, but they are not real. They are only an optical illusion. The image one first sees in a mirage always fades upon closer examination. People in the desert know that perceptions are not always what they seem. The heat of the desert may make someone thirsty, but most people know better than to waste their precious energy chasing mirages. Unfortunately, people don’t hold this same understanding to other things that are not real; things like the world of fantasy.
Fantasy holds appeals because people don't see things for what they are.
Many people look to fantasy to fulfill what they don’t have in the real world. Reality can seem bleak at times. A person can go through a bit of a dry spell and begin looking for ways to quench their own desires. They look out and see all that fantasy has to offer them on the horizon. On the surface, fantasy appears to have a lot going for it. Fantasies can become anything you want them to be without restriction. They can be indulged in anytime and anywhere. All of this promise can lead a person to believe the world of fantasy will somehow fulfill them. Many like what they see and know they are thirsty. They just don’t see things for what they really are.
Fantasy that fulfills is nothing more than an illusion.
Why pursue that which is not real? Everything found in the world of fantasy (pornography, erotica, etc.) are idols. They are only figments of our imagination. The idea they can really fulfill someone is an illusion. The eye never has it’s fill of seeing. The ear never has it’s fill of hearing. Everyone has desires, but fantasies are not the smart place for looking to fulfill those desires. What is not real can never really satisfy. Like a mirage, the reality always surfaces that you are indulging in an illusion. The fact remains you are still alone. Images only tease and make you painfully aware of what you don’t have. Sitting on the sidelines watching life and fulfillment pass one by is enough to frustrate anybody. This reality will always leave a person feeling left out and depressed. It is also leads people into many pitfalls I will discuss further in later posts.
Twisted thinking makes people persist in clinging to worthless fantasies.
Our own feelings do interfere with how we see things. Our feelings can make it difficult for people to actually see clearly. People struggle to give up fantasizing precisely because of their own warped beliefs. They believe in what they see. Asking a twisted person to give up on fantasy and they will interpret it to mean that you are asking them to give up on pleasure. A twisted person makes this precise interpretation because they associate their fantasy with pleasure. In their mind, these two things are joined. As long as the mental association exists, a person will struggle to give up chasing an image. For people cannot give up on the fact that they have desires and those desires must somehow be fulfilled to be happy. After all, why go on living if a person can never be happy without it? This reasoning propels people to chase their images even when the pursuit eventually kills them.
Finding true fulfillment always begins with being realistic with yourself.
Giving up an idol does not mean a person must give up on their sense of fulfillment; it just means they begin to look for satisfaction in a different place. God does not ask individuals to give up on fulfilling their desires; He asks them to put away those things that would never and could never fulfill them in the first place. He commands them to give up on something that only hurts them and brings them death. God is attempting to reason with men and make them think differently. He is trying to get them to see things for what they are. If a person is ever going to find real fulfillment they are first going to have to be realistic with themselves. Living in a fantasy world will do nothing to change your real life situation. Keeping your head in the clouds will only keep you from improving that real life situation. Images never really fulfill at all. Is it not sensible to change your behavior if it is not really working for you? A willingness to change only means being open to look for fulfillment in a better place.
When it comes to fulfillment, there is nothing like the real thing.
Of Course, There is nothing like the real thing. All cravings ceases when what truly satisfies is found. God offers people lasting fulfillment. An enduring bread which will not leave you hungry (John 6:35). He offers refreshment that will not leave you thirsty, but rather will form in someone a fountain of living water (John 4:14). Real change can begin only when a person opens their horizon to the opportunities God offers. If people would only taste and see that the Lord is good. He would satisfy them with his goodness. What does a person really have to lose in doing so?
No comments:
Post a Comment