Stay In Touch With Reality

 

Jen and I were vacationing with friends when we stumbled upon a beautiful spot on the lake to set out with our paddleboards. It was a small point where two dozen people relaxed and swam; some even set up a tent for the weekend! Apparently, the locals were surprised we found it because one of them (Martin) asked how we knew about it. 

Martin was extra talkative because he was already inebriated by midafternoon. I made small talk with him as we pumped up our boards and set out to find a quiet cove where we could float and enjoy the views of the mountains.

After about two hours, we heard thunder and saw black storm clouds quickly approaching. We hurried back to deflate the boards and pack up as the heavy rain marched across the lake toward us.

When we landed, Martin started in again. Fortunately, a friend of his gave him a job to do to keep him out of our hair as we hurriedly packed up.

On our way to the car, our friend Robin passed Martin as he walked back down the trail. She said, “I hope you don’t get too wet tonight!” Martin’s reply was an instant classic. He said, “You keep your weather forecast to yourself! I don’t want you “jinxing” my weekend by talking about rain!” (Somehow, the black clouds and wall of rain making its way toward us escaped his notice).

Within a minute of us getting in our cars, it started pouring.

Martin could have looked over his shoulder to see the reality of the storm headed his way. But he didn’t want the weather to ruin his fun. He was there to escape reality.

Don’t we often do that ourselves—even if it is in more socially acceptable ways?

Sometimes we work long hours because we feel more successful there than at home. Other times we eat too much because it brings temporary pleasure when life has been challenging. And these days, it is all too easy to escape into one of the many streaming services with more content than you could ever consume in a lifetime. The hours can pass while we ‘check out’ mentally and emotionally.

But the reality is that none of those things (or the many other options like retail therapy, sexual fantasy, and substances) refill us or make the problems disappear. They are there when we return to reality.  Sometimes, we’ve only made the problems worse by the ways we try to escape.

One time, when I prayed through The Steps to Freedom, I got to the list in Step 2 entitled “Ways We Wrongly Defend Ourselves.” The Lord pointed out that “Denial of Reality” and “Fantasy” were two of the ways I wrongly defended myself. The Lord clearly said to me at that moment: “Dan, I can’t help you deal with reality and grow when you are off in fantasy land.”  The picture I got was of the Lord patiently waiting for me to return to reality, where He was readily available to help me deal with whatever stressful or unpleasant situation I was trying to escape.

We know that in this world, we will have trouble. But we can take heart, Jesus says, “because I have overcome the world” (see John 16:33). Innumerable Scriptures talk about God being our defense, our strength, our wisdom, and the stronghold into which we can run for protection and comfort instead of escaping someplace else.

The psalmist admitted that when he got his eyes off the Lord and onto other people or the things of this world, it created a greater struggle. “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence… But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God…” (Psalm 73: 13, 16-17,ESV).

His solution was to reconnect with the Lord.

This world and the challenges we face can be wearisome, emotionally taxing, or even downright painful. But the solution is not to escape reality; it’s to connect with our Father. Unlike Martin, who thought he could escape reality, reality will always catch up to us. And often, the consequences are worse when we deny what’s going on instead of facing it head-on.

Remember, the Lord is with us and available to help us every moment of each day.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16, ESV).

Dear Saints, what challenging aspect of life do you need to face today? Are you confident that Jesus will meet you in facing that reality? Are you able to ask for help from the Lord and a few healthy others who can walk with you to provide grace and mercy in times of need?