"I Keep Hitting The Escape Key, But I'm Still Here!"

The title above came from a t-shirt I saw a woman wearing at a recent local fair - perhaps you've seen it too. I suppose it is a humorous thought as most of us think it would be a blessing to escape the difficulties of everyday life. The question left to us is significant, "Just what do we wish to escape to?" The t-shirt didn't address the answer, but we must.

If we see our life here as isolated from any larger purpose, the sentiment, at it's core, is nothing short of a death wish. It recognizes nothing beyond this life and that nothingness is deemed by some to be preferable to the unpleasantries of daily living. While some certainly fit in this category, the vast majority of people hold out for some type of existence when they exit this life. What that future holds is largely unknown, but most imagine it to be more desirable than our lot here so, bring it on!

Now that may seem appealing, but it is short-sighted to say the least. It is sad to see a life squandered by careless living but it is absolutely tragic to see lives petrified because they choose not to engage the culture.

They will usually acknowledge the problems of the culture, but they just don't want to be bothered with them. We encounter such individuals in every arena of life. In one way or another they have reached a comfort level and they just want to bide their time until they are able to escape the social and spiritual turmoil their inactivity has helped to create.

Such an attitude is sad enough when it is found in secular minds, but it is horrific to encounter in a Christian's life. Nevertheless, this very attitude is what underlies much of modern Christianity. Since the advent of premilennial dispensationalism, many Christians have adopted the view that we, as the body of believers,  are powerless to overcome the evil in this world.

Think about that for a moment. In spite of the fact that Christ triumphed over sin and death they believe that His followers will never overcome the world. To the contrary, they concede this world to the forces of evil and look to be beamed up before it gets really bad. That mindset has serious implications for how one views and shares their faith.

If you keep hitting the escape key and find yourself still here, consider this:

God has not called us out of this world. He has created us for His good pleasure in this world. If you're still here, there is a reason. Ask Him to open your eyes to it. You don't want to leave this life without fulfilling what God called you to do. Ignoring it doesn't relieve you of the responsibility! Only by engaging life can we look forward to the day we pass from this realm with joyous anticipation.

Take the message of realized hope and shine its light in your world!

© 2003 ~ Jim Wade

10/06/03