____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ February 2, 1997 ____________________________________________________ Are You Blocked By An Obstacle Illusion? by Tom Edwards Yes, I did mean ``obstacle'' and not ``optical''; though there is some similarity in the way I would use both of these phrases: in the sense of things not always being as they actually appear or seem, or as they are made out to be. Recently, I was looking at some of the art work of M. C. Escher in which he uses various optical illusions, causing tricks to be played on one's perception and that give a type of ``double meaning'' in what is seen. In one particular scene (I believe the work might be called ``Waterfall''), some of the parts of a structure for a water course seem to be in two places at one time. The picture is definitely a real baffler. The Obstacle Kind But today's article deals more with obstacles that we have made into something more than they really are. The old cliche, ``making mountains out of molehills'' would pretty well describe what I mean by ``obstacle illusions.'' It is not always that there are no obstacles, but even when there are, we often blow them out of proportion--making them seem worse or more difficult than they really are. Often, man's reason for not doing certain tasks is that he feels defeated before he even begins; the accomplishment or attainment seems insurmountable. But often these formidable obstacles are nothing more than a mere illusion formed within the pessimistic mind of man. Maybe, too, repetition or long-standing has something to do with it: some people have been saying that they ``can't do it'' for so long now, they probably wouldn't even think of trying to see if their long-confessed statement is still actually true or not. We must remember, however, that we can change--and change for the better. Perhaps there was a time when something seemed virtually impossible for us; but now we can do it, and with little difficulty! By strengthening our weak areas, we learned to grow out of them. Things Are Not Always How They Appear I once read about the dismantling of Fort Alcan in British Columbia, in which needy miners and settlers were stripping it for its lumber, electrical appliances, and plumbing. While doing so, to their surprise, they soon made an interesting discovery when tearing apart the old jail. It turned out that though its doors were heavy, its locks mighty, and the windows made with two-inch steel bars, the walls had only an appearance of invincibility. For, in actuality, they were nothing more than mere drywall made from paper and clay--weak enough that even a child could have kicked his way through, if he just tried. It was simply the iron-colored paint that had deceptively given them a solid, unbreakable appearance. How many criminals do you suppose had sat surrounded by those walls, not realizing that a good, solid kick could have easily opened up their way of escape? Illusions of this nature had once even tricked the great Houdini. Though this man has long been well-known for his great feats as an escape artist, there was a time in which even he was thwarted from the breaking out of a particular jail cell. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Giving up in futility, Houdini soon learned that the reason why he could not pick the lock was because it hadn't been locked. The door would have freely swung open, but he had been working under the false premise that it was locked up tight. In both these examples, the obstacles were not really in what man saw; but, rather, in what man saw with--his mind, his heart, his attitude. The obstacles seen, therefore, were obstacle illusions. Obstacles Produced By Fear Fear, too, has a way of creating illusions of doubt, of forming negative and pessimistic attitudes. Solomon states that the ''...wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion'' (Prov. 28:1). And he also wrote that ``the fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted'' (Prov. 29:25). Peer pressure, as well as other fears, has often been a cage, trapping many a victim; and though it has no real bars, the captive sometimes reacts as if it does. Such is the case of those whom we read of in John 12:42,43. Though it emphatically states that ``many even of the rulers believed in Him,'' it also points out that these same ones were not willing to acknowledge Christ before men because ``they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God''; and they also knew that to confess faith in Christ would cause one to be ``put out of the synagogue.'' Similarly, the parents of the blind man in John 9 were not willing to testify about their son and his healing, for they ``were afraid of the Jews'' and also knew that a confession toward Jesus being the Christ would result in their ostracism from the synagogue; and without love for the Lord to motivate them, this withdrawal would have likely also resulted in much humiliation, grief, and a more arduous journey for them on the road of life. Oh, what an obstacle fear can sometimes make. Obstacles of Unbelief Due to Misfortunes In addition, there is also another ``obstacle of illusion'' that man has conjured in his own mind, and one concerning the trials of life. How often have we heard of those who have allowed adversities to block their vision of God? to blind them toward the Lord's goodness, toward His fairness, toward His love? I once heard of a woman who lost all of her family in a car accident. It had been raining hard. They pulled off under an overpass to wait out the storm. The woman got out of the car temporarily. While she did so, a semi-truck plowed into the back of their vehicle, killing everyone in it. Greatly hurt and totally devastated, the woman began blaming God for the accident and loss of her family. But was it God who caused the accident? Think for a moment of the hundreds of murders that go on every year in our world. Is it the Lord who makes the murderer pull the trigger, plunge the knife, strangle the victim? Of course not. And, furthermore, just because these things do happen, it certainly does not mean that God approves. To the contrary, the wages of sin is death! (Rom. 6:23) The ungodly will not go unpunished. If they, therefore, choose to remain on their course of sin, they will one day stand before a Judge who will mete out a penalty of an eternal magnitude. Life does not always seem fair, even though suffering shows no partiality. Have we not heard again and again of similar cases, as the one above? A parent loses a child, a husband loses his wife, death comes to take our loved ones when some have not even made it to the prime of life. Adversities Per Se Do Not Cause Spiritual Blindness When people cry out, ``Well, if God loves me, why are so many things going so wrong in my life?,'' is not this an ``obstacle illusion''? Their adversities have led them to a blindness to where they can no longer see the goodness of God. They have no spiritual eyes of faith. But let me clearly point out that it wasn't just the adversities themselves that produced this blindness! No, it was the attitude of those undergoing such. If we could ask Job, Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, the apostles, many of God's other prophets and followers, and Jesus Himself if they lived lives without hardship and heartache, what do you think they would tell us? Obviously, all of these specified individuals underwent difficult times--just take a glance at their lives--but they were able to still keep their sights on the goal, their faith in God, and their zeal in obedience. Daniel's three friends, for example, could not be deterred from their faith even when threatened to be thrown into a fiery furnace that had been made seven times hotter (Dan. 3:19-27). Horrifying atrocities were inflicted upon many of the great people of faith in days gone by (Heb. 11:35-38); and though their bodies could be destroyed--and many were--their souls could not (Matt. 10:28)! In their case, it is also obvious that these overwhelming obstacles did not wash away their faith in a flood of disbelief; for it was their faith that kept them afloat and their hope, as an anchor of the soul, also aided them from being tossed about on the waves of doubt and despair and from being helplessly driven along by the swift currents of false doctrine. The Need for Meaning or Purpose in Life Losing one's purpose or meaning in life can cause one to be subject to many obstacles of illusion. It is hope and optimism, though, that can put ``color'' back into one's life, which without leaves one devoid of purpose. In his book Understanding Humans, Lucien E. Coleman, Jr. writes: ``A military psychiatrist observed a similar phenomenon among American servicemen imprisoned in Japan and Korea. Some of these men suffered an apathy so extreme that they died of no other apparent cause than lack of a will to live. Research supported the conclusion that the men who gave up earliest were those who recognized little meaning and virtually no significant values in life.'' If we are making our obstacles worse than they really are, losing all purpose and meaning in life, being overly pessimistic and without hope, and ``making mountains out of molehills'' then we are creating and suffering from ``obstacle illusions,'' which do not even have to be--and, by far, we would be much better off without. Let us, therefore, remember that we are often the ones who have created our own obstacles out of nothing or have made much worse those that we actually do have; but with God on our side, even the greatest of barriers will not be insurmountable to our spiritual relationship with the Lord. David faced the giant Goliath and defeated him. Joshua and Caleb were not deterred by the giants in the land of Canaan; and, thus, brought back the positive report. ''...If God be for us,'' Paul writes in Romans 8:1, ``who can be against us?'' And it was also this same apostle who states, ``I can do all things through Him who strengthens me'' (Phil. 4:13); and to the Corinthians, ``No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it'' (1 Cor. 10:13). Let us each strive to put and keep God first in our lives, and to remember the undying truth that God is always much greater than any of our problems or obstacles that we have to face. ___________________________________________ NEWS & NOTES Jerry Merten, mentioned in previous ``News & Notes,'' passed away several days ago. We pray that God will comfort those who were his loved ones, friends, and family. Kathy Oney, sister-in-law of Debbie Frazier, recently had back surgery (1/28/97). She will be in a body cast for the next six weeks. Let us pray for a quick healing. Steve Willis writes on Mars' List: ``My Dad, Cecil Willis, has been having some heart problems, possibly small heart-attacks. To know more certain tests would need to be done that certainly would destroy what remains of his kidneys (about 2/5 of one). Besides congestion in veins (arteries?), he probably has a clot in one part of his heart...We'd request your prayers before the Father on his behalf.'' Hello Visitors! We are glad to see you. If this is your first time with us, please fill out a visitor's card. We like to include every new guest on our mailing list for this free bulletin. Free Bible courses, upon request. Bible Film Slides available for those who live nearby. Call for free transportation, if needed. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@wwd.net Gospel Observer Homepage: http://www.wwd.net/user/tedwards/go My Personal Homepage: http://www.wwd.net/user/tedwards ________________________________________