Crutches

Recently I was having a conversation with someone I love very much. We were talking about spiritual things, and it was exactly the kind of conversation you want to have- open, respectful, honest, deep, relaxed and challenging. Such a pleasure!

An atheist she knew once said that "God is just a crutch", and it impacted her. I understood. It suggests a weakness that requires fantasy to survive in this world. She didn’t want to need a crutch. She didn’t want to believe in a God just to give her illusory strength. I think many people struggle with this dilemma. I know that I have in the past, but I've come to terms with it. I do need a crutch. I need a big strong crutch.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need some placebo faith to help me keep my actions in check, or my “spirit’s lifted”.  I need a real strength, a strength that is not of my own making, a strength that is external, a strong crutch that will carry the full weight of my inability to overcome the things in life that are bigger than me.  

 Some people use alcohol or drugs as a crutch, some people use work or success as a crutch, others use blame shifting, crutches come in many forms. In fact her atheist friend actually used all of those crutches…I  just gotta ask the question “how’s that working for ya?” because his life was pretty much in shambles by anyone’s estimation… But that’s not really the issue, because many Christians use these crutches too, and shambles are no respecter of persons. I think it’s these self made crutches that are actually illusory.But it’s not about how good or bad the crutch makes you look, it’s about whether the crutch can bear the load when you have no choice but to put your full weight on it.

I’ve been told that I am a strong woman, maybe so, I’ve definitely had my share of battles.Any strength I have is only because of my crutch. This life deals out some overwhelmingly hard situations, far beyond my ability to handle in my own strength. I would have shattered into a million pieces, had it not been for my crutch that holds me up. There were times I literally would have died... each time it holds me up my ability to depend on it increases. I need a crutch, and Jesus Christ came to be my crutch. I’m cool with that. Would you like me share my crutch with you?

Isaiah 46:4 “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”