There is no such thing as a carefree existence.  It doesn’t matter how much money you have, how much sex you have, or how many friends on Facebook you have.

If you watch any measure of television, it doesn’t take long to see an advertisement that will subtly (or blatantly!) promise an easier life if you use their product. I saw a banner ad yesterday on the internet for an iPhone app that promised that exact thing. “An iPhone app = an easier life.”  I’m going to recommend that their marketing department find some fresh creative minds for their next ad campaign.

I believe Jesus when he said that “in this world you are going to have trouble,” and I don’t believe there is a silver bullet that can kill all your troubles and give you a carefree existence.  Unfortunately, I think I have a subtle mechanism in my thinking that causes me to look for that escape hatch.

“If our income was only a little higher…”

“If I had version 2 of that gadget…”

“If we wouldn’t have bought this house…”

“If Jude was sleeping a little better…”

“If we lived in Oregon…”

“If my head didn’t hurt right now…”

These are if-then statements that I sometimes catch myself saying.  Where is the then portion of the statement?  Usually it’s sitting quietly under the surface.  Unspoken, but implied. It would be better to finish the sentence and put the belief out into the open.

“…then our circumstances would be easier so that I could do the things I want to do in life.”

I cringe to write that out, but it makes the lie obvious.  The lie is that our circumstances determine of our choices. The reality is that my attitude and way of thinking are choices I make rather than a condition of my experiences.