Last week, I discussed Jesus’ teaching that we all should have childlike faith. That means we should trust the Lord completely and look at His wonderful creation with wide-eyed wonder. I mentioned that as adults, we often get suspicious, sarcastic, and cynical, which are attitudes that keep us from trusting God the way we should.
After I wrote that essay, the mirror in my bathroom said to me, “Hey pal, have you looked at yourself lately?”
I replied, “No, why?”
The mirror said, “Well, if you’d take a minute to look, you’d see that you are one of the most suspicious, sarcastic, and cynical people on the face of the earth.”
After I wrote that essay, the mirror in my bathroom said to me, “Hey pal, have you looked at yourself lately?”
I replied, “No, why?”
The mirror said, “Well, if you’d take a minute to look, you’d see that you are one of the most suspicious, sarcastic, and cynical people on the face of the earth.”
“No, you’ve got it all wrong,” I said. “Sure, I occasionally assume a cynical attitude and use sarcasm in my writing, but that’s just for comedic effect.”
“Oh, so you’re only that way when you write?” the mirror said. “What about when you’re talking to your wife, kids, co-workers, clients, friends, neighbors, and that young lady working the check-out line at the grocery store who gets flustered easily?”
“Um, now wait a minute,” I mumbled. “She charged me twice for a bag of Fritos. What am I supposed to do, let her rip me off?”
“Well,” the mirror said, “you certainly put that ‘sinister thief’ in her place, didn’t you, tough guy?”
“Now, c’mon!” I exclaimed. Then I paused and said, “Hey, wait a minute. Since when do mirrors talk?”
“Oh, are you getting suspicious, Mr. holier-than-thou religious writer?”
Hmm, maybe my mirror has a point.
I think I was correct when I wrote that the trials and tribulations of life often wear adults down and cause them to get suspicious, sarcastic, and cynical. But if it came across as if I was accusing other people of this, while it’s not a problem for me, then, of course, it’s all your fault for not being smart enough to understand what I meant.
No wait, I’m kidding, I’m kidding! If it really came across that way, then it’s my fault, especially since I do indeed have a talent for suspicion, sarcasm, and cynicism.
“Oh, so you’re only that way when you write?” the mirror said. “What about when you’re talking to your wife, kids, co-workers, clients, friends, neighbors, and that young lady working the check-out line at the grocery store who gets flustered easily?”
“Um, now wait a minute,” I mumbled. “She charged me twice for a bag of Fritos. What am I supposed to do, let her rip me off?”
“Well,” the mirror said, “you certainly put that ‘sinister thief’ in her place, didn’t you, tough guy?”
“Now, c’mon!” I exclaimed. Then I paused and said, “Hey, wait a minute. Since when do mirrors talk?”
“Oh, are you getting suspicious, Mr. holier-than-thou religious writer?”
Hmm, maybe my mirror has a point.
I think I was correct when I wrote that the trials and tribulations of life often wear adults down and cause them to get suspicious, sarcastic, and cynical. But if it came across as if I was accusing other people of this, while it’s not a problem for me, then, of course, it’s all your fault for not being smart enough to understand what I meant.
No wait, I’m kidding, I’m kidding! If it really came across that way, then it’s my fault, especially since I do indeed have a talent for suspicion, sarcasm, and cynicism.
The childlike faith Jesus calls us to have can be tricky. We need to trust the Lord wholeheartedly, but we do live in a fallen world. So, that means we can’t be so trusting in our dealings with other people that we become gullible rubes.
For example, I read in the paper the other day about an elderly woman in western Connecticut who was scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. A con artist called her and said she won the multi-million dollar Publishers Clearing House contest. All she had to do was pay the taxes on her winnings — up front, of course — and then she would receive her big prize. Sadly, she sent the scammer a boatload of money before her family or the bank realized what she was doing.
Jesus is meek and mild and forgiving, but I think even the Prince of Peace would not mind if everyone told phone scammers to, “Bugger off, jerk face!!” as loudly as possible, in the hope of damaging their hearing.
It’s true that people can become suspicious, sarcastic, and cynical after many years of struggling with the trials and tribulations of our sinful world (even if they don’t have a natural gift for those traits, like me). These negative attitudes then make it difficult for us to have childlike trust in our heavenly Creator.
Don’t forget, besides teaching that we should have childlike faith, Jesus also said this: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16).
We need to find a happy medium. We must have childlike faith and enthusiasm toward the things of God, but at the same time be careful and cautious toward the things of earth.
For example, I read in the paper the other day about an elderly woman in western Connecticut who was scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. A con artist called her and said she won the multi-million dollar Publishers Clearing House contest. All she had to do was pay the taxes on her winnings — up front, of course — and then she would receive her big prize. Sadly, she sent the scammer a boatload of money before her family or the bank realized what she was doing.
Jesus is meek and mild and forgiving, but I think even the Prince of Peace would not mind if everyone told phone scammers to, “Bugger off, jerk face!!” as loudly as possible, in the hope of damaging their hearing.
It’s true that people can become suspicious, sarcastic, and cynical after many years of struggling with the trials and tribulations of our sinful world (even if they don’t have a natural gift for those traits, like me). These negative attitudes then make it difficult for us to have childlike trust in our heavenly Creator.
Don’t forget, besides teaching that we should have childlike faith, Jesus also said this: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16).
We need to find a happy medium. We must have childlike faith and enthusiasm toward the things of God, but at the same time be careful and cautious toward the things of earth.
By the way, my mirror doesn’t actually talk to me. Everyone knows mirrors can’t talk, except in fairy tales. However, my mirror does giggle occasionally, especially when I grab a hairbrush and try to convince myself that my bald spot isn’t noticeable.
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