Articles
A Choked-Out Faith
Faith doesn’t often die in a fiery, dramatic crash captured on a pew cam. Most of the time faith dies a slow death, gradually strangled by a preoccupation with this world and the demands it places on us. Some who once believed are simply distracted to death.
Jesus describes this in the parable of the sower: “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Mt 13:22).
Mark’s account has a slight alteration: “And the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (4:19).
Jesus echoes this thought later in His ministry: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly” (Lk 21:34).
Vine has a pretty good description of “care”: “‘to draw in different directions, distract,’ hence signifies ‘that which causes this, a care, especially an anxious care.’” This dovetails with James’ reference to “a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Worldly things can captivate our attention, create concerns, obligate our time and sap our energy until our focus on spiritual things is completely overwhelmed. And the really dangerous thing is that we often don’t realize it is happening.
So how are we distracted by preoccupation with things of this world? We might break it down into the following categories:
Mandatory Demands. There are certain things that simply must be done for survival in a world that is hostile to our existence. Jesus’ instruction to ask for our “daily bread” also requires working for it (cf. 2 Th 3:10, 12). A “roof over our heads” is a figurative expression for shelter from the elements. Educating ourselves to function in a world that is increasingly knowledge-based is a necessity.
But as we examine each of these basic items, we realize that there is a broad spectrum of how they can be obtained. Thus some jobs require excessive amounts of travel; others 24/7 on-call access. A plant worker, police officer and corporate executive all face demands that stress them in different ways. A “roof” may be an apartment, townhome, single-family dwelling or 10 acre estate. The larger salary that enables the purchase of a sprawling home will necessarily bring more burdens and distractions than a modest income and a trendy tiny house on a rental plot.
Our consumer-driven society targets goods and services to every socio-economic level imaginable. No matter where you fall on the scale there is a brand, model and optional features just for you. You can spend $500 or $5,000 on a refrigerator – it just depends on what you want and what you can afford. But with every level of expense comes a corresponding emotional investment.
Life Enhancements. By this I mean things that God approves of but are not mandatory. Marriage, for example, is a relationship created by God for companionship, sexual fulfillment, a nurturing environment for children, etc., but it is not mandatory. If we choose to engage in it, however, we must accept that it brings a heavier involvement with temporal things: “He who is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord – how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world – how he may please his wife … And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction” (1 Cor 7:32-33, 35). If marital union expands into family, then there will be other commitments that bring anxiety and distraction. Children need education, life-experiences (vacations, recreation, the arts, etc.), nurturing time with parents – things that will place an “anxiety tax” on those raising them.
Again, there are choices to be made to the degree in which we engage in these things. Some parents go overboard and completely immerse their lives in their children to the neglect of their faith. And you can’t instill in children what you do not possess yourself.
Frills. These would be our games, hobbies, entertainment – things that are purely pleasure (though not necessarily sinful). If we have any free time left after our commutes, jobs, shopping, errands, chores and meals, we may fritter it away thinking, “I deserve some time for myself.” But the question is, “Where are going to fit in the spiritual dimension of life?”
We must first identify why anxiety is draining our spiritual energy and learn to say “no” to what is overwhelming us. If we don’t manage our lives and purge them of needless distractions, we may wake up one day and realize our faith really isn’t that important to us. It has been choked out by the cares of the world.
