Living in a Bubble

“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:10-11)

A man from another country, was speaking on the radio of how America is living in a bubble.

Particularly, he was referring to Christians in America. 

He said,

"You are not living in reality."

I've been thinking about this for some time. It's been very troubling. 

According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America:

• The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%
• The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%
• The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%

And though these statistics pertain to the nation as a whole, for anyone who has been around churches much, divorce is an epidemic among Christians today.

How can this be?

From what I have witnessed over the last ten to fifteen years, it's because the man who said we are living in a bubble was correct.

Many Christians are simply not living in reality. 

Much of what "Modern Christianity" has wrongly promoted, is the "happy little Christian life" where we supposedly will have perfect marriages, perfect wives, perfect husbands, perfect kids, perfect pets, perfect cars that never break down, perfect houses, perfect yards, perfect jobs, perfect health, never a lack of of money, all of our prayers get answered, and we never have any problems in life. A care-free life with no trials, trouble, or persecution.

The problem is, God never promised this to us.

We're living in a bubble.

What I have witnessed, is, when a bubble-dwelling husband or bubble-dwelling wife have expectations of this perfect, happy little Christian life, and their spouse does not live up to their perfect expectations, they often go looking to greener pastures for another mate who will fill the bill. They are seeking someone who will give them that perfect, happy little life that God never promised.

The root of the problem is the heart.

People who live in a bubble have their hearts set on the things of this world, and not on the Lord. 

The Apostle Paul said:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

A friend of mine often talks about the self-idolatry of self-absorption.

Bubble-dwellers are inward-focused. Self-absorbed. Their entire life revolves around them. They rarely, if ever, see anyone outside of their own context of self. 

A friend told me a story of a man who felt led by the Lord to send a poor woman in Africa a fairly sizable sum of money for Christmas. He didn't know the woman, but learned about her through a local ministry. When the woman received the money, she didn't do what most Americans would probably do, which would be to buy what they needed, and then save the rest for their own needs. No, she bought food for her entire village. She didn't look only to her personal need. She met the need of her entire village.

This really hit home personally. 

Miraculously, the Lord recently provided a generous sum of money for us, to meet our needs, as we were in pretty dire straits, due to a medical issue I have which rendered me unable to work for almost a year. We were so thankful to receive this gift. But I confess, it never entered my mind to share any of this gift with others, because our own needs were so pressing.

But afterwards, when I heard this story about the dirt poor woman in Africa who unselfishly blessed her entire village with the gift she received of the Lord, it really convicted me.

It made me examine my own life... my own heart. 

Do I really need the kind of house and lifestyle I currently have to survive? Am I invested more in this world and the temporal things in it? 

Or are my treasures stored up in Heaven?

The story of the poor woman in Africa changed me. I can't escape the unselfish love and compassion she showed for others. She demonstrated the love of Christ in a way that I can't honestly say I ever have.

Have you?

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:1-4)

This week as we're in a time of prayer and fasting, my prayer is that God will burst our bubbles. 

I don't want to live in a self-contained world that revolves around me.

"Lord Jesus; make me more like You."

Amen.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.