Chasing a Fake Rabbit
Key Bible Verse: But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. (Ecclesiastes 2:11) Dig Deeper: Colossians 2:13-23
In dramatic fashion my life (past and present) is a mirror reflection of Aladdin's life. No. Not the one with the magic lamp. I'm talking about a dog whose story I read in the sports section of a bogus online newspaper. The headline read: "Greyhound Bitterly Disappointed After Finally Catching Mechanical Rabbit." The journalist covering the story reported that Aladdin, a greyhound who had spent years racing at the Jacksonville Dog Track in Jacksonville, Florida, had become devastated by the outcome, when he finally succeeded in catching the rabbit, only to discover that it was not real.
"Boy do I feel stupid" was the first comment Aladdin offered reporters. "I've wasted my life chasing around this … mechanical rabbit …. But that rabbit represented something to me. And now, to find out it wasn't even a real rabbit, well it's just devastating …. I'm not going to keep chasing plastic bunnies for the rest of my life. There are real bunnies out there, waiting to be eaten …. It's time I started to live a little."
Trust me. I understand Aladdin's despair and determination. The appalling realization that religion was incapable of providing me a transformed life was devastating. [continued 3/20]
—Fil Anderson in Breaking the Rules
My Response: I will ask the Holy Spirit to search my heart and reveal any "fake rabbits" I am chasing.
Adapted from Breaking the Rules (InterVarsity Press, 2010) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher.
Copyright © 2012 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine.
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