Whack-a-Mole
Have you ever played Whack-a-Mole? I'm not too fond of that game. No matter where I hit or how hard I strike, that silly mole pops out of a different hole, eluding my efforts to squash him. Since it's a game, I assume it was designed for entertainment, but it only causes me frustration. After ten minutes of expending copious amounts of energy and strategic thought, I'm left with that cheesy weasel grinning back at me in victory. What a massive waste of time and energy! Next game, please.
Unfortunately, life often feels like a giant game of "Whack-a-Mole." In fact, the crazy arcade has enough life application that its name can be found in the dictionary with the following definition: "a situation in which repeated efforts to resolve a problem are frustrated by the problem reappearing in a different form."
Oh, doesn't that sound like life? You solve one problem today just to be faced with another one tomorrow. You tackle an issue in front of you only to discover there's one sneaking up behind you. You make Child A happy, which in turn aggravates Child B. In vain, you whack and whack and whack, but no matter what, some ugly weasel pops up repeatedly, causing you to wonder why you're being forced to play this cruel game you cannot win.
Those who don't know the Lord as their personal Savior have no hope. This is life for them. Sure, there will be good days, but there will also be bad. There will be struggles and efforts that seem futile, but unlike the believer, they will have to face these trials all alone. I don't wish that on anyone.
For those of us who are saved by the blood of Christ, I have good news and bad. Let's start with the bad and get it out of the way. The Christian walk is not a bed of roses. Instead, it is also like a game of Whack-a-Mole. There are good days and bad. There are struggles and times when our efforts will feel like they're in vain. But (and I love this conjunction here), we don't have to face it alone. The Lord walks with us. And because we've accepted His gift of salvation, we're already winners. (Take that, Weasel!)
Think about it for a moment. How much easier would the game of Whack-a-Mole be if we knew where and when the mole would pop up next? That's what it's like when we walk with the Lord and follow His guidance in our lives. He shows us the next move and leads us in which steps to take. When to go, when to wait. When to speak and when to stay silent. If we keep in tune with Him and heed His direction, we could expend much less time and effort on fruitless endeavors (like trying to hit a weasel with a hammer). We could accomplish so much more for His glory without wearing ourselves out and frustrating those around us with our sour attitudes.
Life is not easy. No one ever said it would be. But with Christ as our guide, it can be much more fruitful and less aggravating. If you don't know Christ as your Savior and you're walking this difficult road alone, I urge you to accept His free gift of salvation today. If you don't know how, please get in touch with me, and I'll tell you.
For those of us who are saved, let's not forget to tap into the resource we have in Christ. Salvation isn't just about the sweet by and by. It gives us access to power and knowledge right here in the nasty now and now. Sure, we could try to go it alone, but why? Why put ourselves through that when Jesus has offered a much better way. He won the victory so we could live abundant lives. Let's not forget that the next time we're facing a cheesy weasel in a hole!
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
— I Corinthians 15:58