Self-help

A self-help book might make encouraging claims such as: Believe in yourself. Recognize your abilities. Don't doubt your character. You can do it!

I think it's great that there are books out there that give pretty sound and reasonable advice. They serve a need to tell a generation of people overwhelmed by work, relationships and life to not put so much blame on themselves or take on too much of a burden. However, I was discussing with a friend the other day that the reasons and advice given, although pretty helpful, seem to be missing something important, something deeper.


Is it weak to explain everything by the reason of God? Is it lazy, or unintelligent, or mediocre to say that "the reason blah blah blah is God" or "you have to understand this is happening because of God" ?

I think it'd be, at first thought. I might even be a little annoyed that the person would mention that because it does not clearly address my issue. Stressed about a broken relationship with someone = God. What the freak?

Then again, is letting go of that control and trusting in a good and loving God really the weak thing to do? To be able to let go, to forgive, to have grace, to be Jesus-like, is that the fluffy, naive answer that's basically the easy way out?

How easy is it for me to reconcile? To forgive others they "don't deserve it" or are "being a bitch"? How easy is it for me to say "I'm not going to cry and worry about my future because today has enough of its worries"? How easy is it for me to love myself and be satisfied in my image and my character, when there are obviously so many others before me that seem so much more beautiful and lovable?

It's crazy yes, to say something as outrageous like "I'm giving my life to the Lord" like those fanatics you see on gospel infomercials. But I've started to see that once I recognized that my life is not in my hands and is in God's, I don't have to blame myself for things that go wrong. I can patiently see that getting fired from a job, loneliness and suffering is actually leading to something good...

I don't think I can find in any self-help book the bridge for all these gaps in life. As much as they may offer a temporary fix, the eternal fix I think must rest upon an eternal being. And yes, I'll say it, an eternal God who knows what it's like to suffer and face persecution.

Happy Easter, ya'lls.