You Can’t Fix a Broken Wand
My kids love their stuff. They love their toys, they love their clothes, they love their coloring books and crayons and markers. They have different favorites at different times, but all in all they really love stuff. This love is the source of tons of strife in our home. It seems like I am breaking up fights around here every hour sometimes! And I quite honestly I love my stuff, too! How often I do I get frustrated because chocolate covered hands stained my new white pants, or my precious coffee was spilled that I was looking forward to all day? There is a huge, ugly thread running through all of these things called idolatry. Idolatry is worshiping anyone or anything more than God. It can be your stuff, your spouse, your children, your job, your money, your time, anything really.
On Sunday one of my daughters broke a little plastic wand she had received in children’s church. She was devastated. It broke my heart to see how much this cheap little toy meant to her, that her happiness was dependent upon it. I tried to explain to her that she has other wands at home, that we could fix it later, but she was overcome with grief over this toy. I reminded her of Matthew 18:8-9, where Jesus teaches us that it’s better to cut off your hand or tear out your eye than to allow it to lead you into sin. This means get rid of anything in your life that is causing you to sin.
Well, my words didn’t have the immediate effect I was hoping for! But I was thankful for her to have the opportunity to learn this lesson and was resolved to deal with her tantrum now in the hopes of long term understanding. But, sure enough, a bystander decided to take her by the hand and go tape up the wand. Seems like the problem is fixed, right? She’s happy and stops crying. But the underlying heart issue is still there, and when the wand breaks again minutes later, more crying ensues, and I again try to teach the same lesson. Hopefully this time she’ll learn to accept that this is broken and move on. But, once again, another bystander steps in and brings her a new wand. She’s happy again for a time, until a few hours later when the new wand breaks!!! It was honestly hard not to laugh at the irony of it, so many people trying to help her and serve her, but the problem wasn’t the broken wand, the problem was in her heart. It’s amazing how God kept bringing this up again and again, until finally there were no quick fixes, and she was forced to accept not having the wand.
Fixing the wand was easy, getting a new wand was pretty simple too. But talking things through and pointing her back to Christ took a lot of time and patience. I still have to learn this lesson myself. When I get frustrated over a spilled cup of coffee, I don’t need a new cup of coffee. I need to find my satisfaction in Christ. I need to love others more than I love myself and my worthless idols.
See if you can find this common thread in your life, this is one that is really at the center of so many challenges in my life.
