do not know which to choose

I read a whiny, self-involved post the other day that contained two things I like to discuss: the TV show "Lost" and the problem with modern American faith. You might ask me where modern American faith is in the article. I might respond with a digressive story about a midget clown dressed like a panda bear whose favorite food is veal cutlets, I don't know.

In any case, faith. In the middle of the whining, the author states that "But [Ben's] become the central focus of the show—and I didn't sign up for Ben when 'Lost' started."

A TV show can do whatever it wants. It can fire stars and hire new ones. It can write whatever dialogue it wants. It can change its music. It has the right to define itself however it wants to. You'll like some of its choices, and you won't like others. But giving up on a show because you don't like its choices, because it doesn't do what you want it to do is symptomatic of everything wrong with people in general.

It's easy for Americans who've grown up in the land of ease and comfort to give in to their sense of entitlement. Americans have always had choices, and so if something doesn't meet your expectation, you go pick something different that satisfies your needs like the hedonists we are. And that attitude is the opposite of faith.

Selfish choice says you can change TV shows any week you don't like what you saw. Faith says I chose to watch the show early on, and I will see it through to the end it chooses. Selfish choice says this church doesn't play enough hymns for my liking. Faith says God led me to this body and I will support it and grow it until He leads me elsewhere. Selfish choice says I am tired of going to church and reading the Bible when my job is hard and my marriage is failing and I have this illness and I have too much debt and I want more and I want better. Faith says God is enough for me; Christ is all-sufficient.

Everything won't meet your expectations or desires. Neither one matters in the long haul, Luke. The sooner you learn that lesson, the better.