Since returning to the United States, my mind is constantly drawn back to our time in Panama. When I was in Panama, it was easy to fall into the habit of seeing the spiritual deception in the United States. It was easy to become critical of American Christianity. And dont get me wrong, we are a spiritually deceived people in Northern America. That much is true. The American culture is one that, on a large degree, places so much of its identity in looks and the accumulation of stuff instead of Jesus Christ. We are deceived in the fact that we are quick to call ourselves Christians yet live a watered down version of our faith because our culture has influenced Christianity more than Christianity has influenced American culture.
But its wrong and even sinful to point a finger in judgement at America and praise other parts of the world because they dont have the temptation of consumerism. No matter where in this world we travel, one thing is constant. This world is fallen and broken and has the shattered, jagged fragments of sin everywhere. Panama and other parts of the world may not struggle with the same deceptions that America does, but none the less, deception is there.
Many differing tribes of indigenous indians and people groups around the world are without Christ in their own way. Many of them to this day, worship different idols. I recently listened to a missionary tell his story of visiting India and visiting a place called, “The Monkey Temple.” He said that the natives there were praying to a statue of a monkey. Praying for the healing of their land and for the well being of their people. And hearing this, I was overwhelmed with sorrow. Because these natives in India are putting all of their hopes in a piece of stone that they made.
America is no different than these third world countries. We as American look at a scene like this and wonder how anyone could worship an inanimate object. Yet we do the same thing without even realizing it. We have our own version of monkey Gods. It happens in our fasination with materialism, pleasure, and even relationships. I read about a woman recently whose husband and six year old son were killed in a house fire while she was at work. This had to be devastating. But where was her hope. If her family was the most important thing in her life…her idol…then when that is taken from her, her world is shattered. Her hope is shattered. There is nothing left for her. But if her hope is in Christ, no matter what life may throw at her, she knows that ultimately the pains of this world will give way to a better life in light of eternity.
If a man places all of his hopes and the most important thing in life is his wealth and money, what happens when the economy crashes? His hope is destroyed. His world…everything that he put his security in becomes desolate. And his life loses meaning because although he may have claimed the name of Christian, ultimately his hope was in materialism and not Jesus.
If you study the life of the apostle Paul, it is simply fascinating. He went through so many hardships. This man was ship wrecked while trying to proclaim the gospel, yet when this happened, instead of growing weary, he praised God in his trial. He was ship wrecked yet again and then after coming to shore, he was preaching the gospel and was bitten by a snake! He was trying to live for God yet bad things kept happening. Yet regardless, Paul kept praising Christ. Because he knew that nothing and no person on this earth would ever satisfy the longings of his heart like Christ.
If we only had the faith on the inside the we claim on the outside. And Im not saying that we should just suck it up and go through tough times with a smile. Its alright to grieve. Its ok to mourn. Its acceptable to cry out to God in a moment of weakness. The Bible says that Jesus is sympathetic to our plights. When we are in pain he rushes to be near.
“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18.
What is it that if taken from you, your hope would vanish? What is your monkey God? If our greatest hope is in anything other than Christ, there will come a day when we will be in need of a savior but have our sights focused in the wrong direction.
Our hearts were made with a void that was only meant to be filled by something eternal. Women, your man…no matter how romantic and great he is…will never fully satisfy you. Because he is not eternal. Men, your woman….no matter how much she strives to please you, will never fully satisfy. Because she is not eternal. Parents, your children, no matter how much joy they bring you, can never fully satisfy all of the longings of your heart. Because they are not eternal. And for any of us to place the expectation on our spouses or children to fill that gap of eternity is not only cruel and impossible, its blasphemous. It is a weight that no mortal can carry.
The great Christian thinker, CS Lewis summed it up best……
“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”- C.S. Lewis
We are like children who live in the ghetto. And our utmost joy in life is playing with mud pies. Because poverty is all we have ever known, and we cannot even fathom the joy of something like going on a cruise filled with good foods and beautiful sights. And if we knew of joys such as these, we would see the mud pies for what they are and set our hearts on a higher joy!
Its like a kid who plays with tinker toys and legos. If tinker toys and legos is all he has ever known, thats paradise to him! But give that kid a few ads of the latest video games and introduce him to a Playstation. Those tinker toys will soon look like garbage and he will be begging his parents for that joy which he now sees, but never really knew existed! (I speak on this from experience!)
Such is the kingdom of God. The joys of this earth are only the outer fringes of the infinite joys God has planned for his children. Humanity places its utmost joys in what are mud pies or packed dirt in Gods eyes. Sex, alcohol, drugs, fornication, and materialism. And yes, even relationships that are inherently good turn to mud pies when they become more of a draw than Christ.
We sing about the eternal joys of Christ in church. We quote them to friends and family. But do we truly believe them so whole heartedly, that Jesus is where our hope is? Do we believe in this greater hope so much, that no matter what pain this world throws at us, we remain steadfast and carry on through the ghetto because we know our future holds a holiday at the sea?
As Christians, our hope is to be in Christ. If Jesus is not our greatest hope, then can we really testify that we have faith? Where is your idol and what is it you simply would die if taken from you? Is it a mud pie? Surely not. As Paul said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Philippians 1:20~ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.~(NIV).
Thank you for sharing your knowledge of what you’ve learned on your mission field journey. I had never heard of the “The Monkey Temple”. As you remind us there are many who have not come to the full knowledge of the joy of developing an intimate relationship with their Lord Jesus Christ.
May God use you to bring others to begin to seek a personal relationship with Jesus so that their lives Glorify God and desire to be obedient to Him. As always I pray for God’s blessings be bountiful in your life and the lives of your loves ones. Staying in the grip of His Grace, Mrs. E