When Life Gives You Lemons

Often, one could argue that God uses life itself is a test. One lives life to see how they deal with the occurrences within it. How would respond to spontaneous situations? How would one deal with a situation where drastic measures are needed? Cartoon villains and boogeymen aren’t necessary when life in itself is a test.

Often times, for example, disasters are a natural part of life. Our planet is very dynamic, and thus, it’s up to that individual to try to deal with whatever happens. Just life’s adversities can provide challenges. Several faces the economic challenges of whatever events play out. Will one family have enough money for rent and groceries. Will one be able to find work, especially during the outbreak. Here in South Texas, work is already hard to come by to begin with, so adding a horrible outbreak on top of it can greatly increase the situation. People have a lot to face.

One could go as far to say that are problems are trivial to what the Israelites faced when they came back from Egypt. They were in bondage for several hundred years, and spent the last 40 years roaming the desert. Moses should have asked for directions! Not only that, the land of milk and honey wasn't going to be given, but they would have to fight for it. However, the Israelites were in need to prove that they were worthy of owning that land. In the case of the various tribes of Israel returning back to there land, they were coming back to people who were very well established. When the Israelites left there land to go to Egypt during the famine, they became very well established and done very good for themselves. For a long time, even when the famine ended in Canaan, the Israelites had no reason to go back. They were prospering in Egypt. In fact, they were prospering better in Egypt than they would have done back home. They taken there old and new homes for granted. Unfortunately, Pharaoh let his paranoia and fear get the better of him and let his personal demons run amok. He enslaved the Israelites.

While they were gone, various tribes with the names ending with “ites” took over the land after the famine ended. They tended the land and became very well established. They were not going to just give the land back because the Israelites were now leaving Egypt. If the Israelites wanted it, they would have to fight for it.

If the Israelites wanted there land back, they would have to put there trust in God. This sacrifice was required so that the Israelites wouldn't take there home for granted. If God just gave the Israelites the land, there would be no appreciation for it. The Israelites would have to meet God half-way. This would be the only way God would give them the land. They would have to put there trust and faith.

The Israelites assumed that God would just be like a genie and give them the land as one of there three wished. Often, many think that God is simply a genie and they will pray for whatever and then expect God to provide without any effort on there part. One could assume that the Israelites operated in the same manner. Many assume misplaced expectations.

Trials And Tribulations

As I’ve said before, just living life is hard enough. Troubles are added when one goes after those who want to protect there power and privilege. Jesus discovered this when he went after the Pharisees. They abandoned spirituality, and formalized it into a empty activity that became institutionalized religion. For the Pharisees, spirituality was used as a tool for social and political control. Jesus called them out for misusing spirituality for this purpose. God’s spiritual movement was never suppose to be political in nature, and the Pharisees misused it for there own purpose. The Pharisees would hold onto there power at any cost. The Pharisees would punish Jesus and his followers for questioning there system. The Pharisees assumed greater power and privileges, and they were not going to stand for anyone who would prove a threat to there power.

Jesus expected this. We should expect it now. Many Christians have abandoned spirituality for power and privilege that is passed off as spirituality. These are the Christians that misuse God’s word for spectacle and profit. Several of them see Christianity as a tool for social control. Any Christian wanting to return to the roots of Jesus’s ministry are going to feel the wrath of those that want to keep there privilege at any cost. Several of these Christians will say and do anything to preserve there privilege. They will spread lies and misinformation and resort to fear to keep there privileges. Christians that believe in the idea of spirituality are going to be torpedoed by those who’s idea of Christianity is power and privilege, and will stop at nothing to protect it.

Historical Context

God called on the Israelites to drive out the remaining tribes in Canaan. The new generation of Israelites didn't respond to God's command. These Israelites would forget the sacrifices that Joshua made in conquering the land. They would forget the sacrifices that Moses made in leading them to Canaan. They would forget the sacrifice that God made in giving them that land. God command the Israelites so that they would appreciate his sacrifice and remain committed. God commanded the Israelites so that they wouldn't take his sacrifice for granted.

When the Israelites settled into there routine, they took God's sacrifice for granted. They didn’t defeat all the tribes in the area. They began to assimilate into the customs of the other “ite” tribes in the area. The Israelites didn't embrace true monotheism until the Babylonian exile. The various tribes of Israel integrated the customs of the local tribes.

The Israelites forgot of the sacrifices that God made for them. Yes, God did make sacrifices as he didn’t have to meet the needs of the Israelites. He could have pursued some other task. However, God did the things he did because he loved them. However, the Israelites didn’t reflect that love back as they pursued there own interest.

God’s actions were forgotten as the Israelites assumed new distractions that they presented as God’s.

Modern Context (Greatly Expanded)

Within the modern context, neo-polytheism takes many forms. A lot of people are very devout. However, there devotion isn’t of the things that God have done. Many people worship there possessions. They also worship the companies that provide those possessions. Companies want people to buy there products at any cost, so they will hype it up as a must have. Fanboys enter the scene as many become convinced that they can’t live without it.

A lot of people worship money. When people become consumed with money, they will resort to immoral and unethical tactics to get that money, hurting many along the way. Several worship there possessions. Several will worship science. This is a massive disservice to science though as the pursuit of science is a method on inquiry, and not a belief system. Science isn’t trying to prove or disprove anything from the spiritual realm, just provide an objective understanding of the planet and universe. Several will worship social media as many use Facebook as a echo chamber to impulsively spam unwanted click-bait. For those social media junkies addicted to Facebook, it might as well be a drug. While I can safety assume that one doesn’t worship drugs, there addictive power locks those in its grips. It the same story with alcohol. There is no active worship of it. However, many feel that they can’t live without it. Often though, many use drugs of alcohol to mask other personal conditions. Narcissism runs amok with many. Neo-polytheistic worship takes many forms.

Many Christians will label there obsessions as items of worship. For many, political parties becomes that entity of worship. This is already a big problem within the spiritual realm, and it will only get much worse with an election year. Many, elevating there preferred party as a moral pillar of faith on par with God and Jesus, engaging in blind worship in the process, regardless of the shortcomings of there preferred parties actions. Absurd as both parties and many of there leaders have there moral and ethical shortcomings as both will resort to empty talking points to convince people to vote for them. 

Many Christians turn mundane politics into this misrepresented battle between good and evil and this worship concludes when these secular parties and there leaders are elevated or lowered on per-defined spiritual pillars often based on preconceived stereotypes, prejudices, and biases. Some of these candidates, like those Christians consumed with power, will use fear as a tool to scare people into voting for them. They know that there supports won't question them. Since many have blind worship of there preferred party, such claims will be taken at face-value. Many Christians have replaced there love of Christ for the love of tribal politics. 

Those Christians who stand up for what's right will encounter resistance. It's surprising where those test of faith will come from though. Those Christians consumed with power and control are going to fight anyone who challenges them, other Christians as well. Those consumed with control are going to be held accountable by God for misusing and weaponizing his word for there own ambitions. God will hold accountability for those who abuse his word for spectacle and profit. God will hold accountability to those who misuse spirituality for there own pursuits. God will hold accountability to those who use fear as an instrument to manipulate people for there own purposes in his name. God will hold accountability to those that try to present there own ambitions as quote "faith". He will hold accountability to those Christians that pursued privilege instead of engaging in spirituality. If God held the Israelites accountable for there abuses, then he will hold us personally accountable as well. 

All Is Not Lost Though

Many Christians have become distracted as they let there inner demons run amok. Many have presented there interest as items of worship. Several have misplaced priorities. However, we don’t need to be conquered by our Neo-polytheistic idols. God provides the path to be free from those pointless distractions.

God saved the Israelites multiple times when he didn’t have too. However, God did this because they are his children. We are all God’s children. God is there when we call out his name. It’s has to be noted that God didn’t come until those who were in need of God’s help. Those situations will come when we need to call upon God. This could be because we’ve gotten into a accident or a situation that we didn’t expect. As I’ve said before, one doesn’t need villains when life itself provides enough adversity that one could write whole books on it. Maybe that person called on God because there were tired of being defined by there problems. They wanted to be free from the drugs and alcohol. Often, though, that person wants to be free from there negative outlook. As noted before, people use drugs and alcohol to mask there inner issues They called God because they want to be free from there inner demons. Maybe that person doesn’t want to be defined by there fear and paranoia. Maybe that person called on God because when that person looks in the mirror, he wants to see someone consumed by God’s love instead of that villain. God reminds us that we don’t have to live like this. We can transcend beyond our issues and pursue that relationship with him.