OK, so I have a pet peeve I need to share today. Well, I have many random pet peeves including crooked pictures, ignorance, and mismatched shoes and belts....but this goes beyond just the basic rules of symmetry, education and fashion. This cuts me to the core!
I dare everyone to walk down the self-help aisle of a bookstore. It may be called self-help, inspiration, full of crap...wait, sorry, that's what I'd call it... Anyway, just walk down that aisle and look at the titles.
Here is my disclaimer: I am in no way saying that people shouldn't get help if they are depressed or lacking something in their lives. Please keep reading...
This world is obviously searching for something. Otherwise, who can explain aisle after aisle of these books.
"Americans spent $11 billion in 2008 on self-improvement books, Cd's, seminars, coaching and stress-management programs--13.6% more than they did back in 2005," according to an article in Forbes magazine in Jan 2009 by Melanie Linder.
Really? So what are these books they are selling? Well, I looked into what is selling, and here is some of Amazon's best-selling self-help books.
1.Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking: This book actually recommends that you make snap decisions about things such as marriage or buying a car...do I really need to go on? If I do, I might turn red and have smoke come out of my ears, so we'll move on.
2. The Secret-Rhonda Byrne: It's been on Oprah and E. It basically says that positive thoughts can give you wealth and happiness and that negative thoughts can create terminal illness. Wow, that's depressing. This is almost the "fake it till you make it" mentality. Just keep thinking positive thoughts. That's great, but eventually you push down all the feeling you have, and one day, you explode. It's not wrong to feel sad or angry, it's how you deal with it.
3. A New Earth: Awakening Your Life's Purpose: This talks about changing the focus from ourselves to others. And in doing so, we create a new world. This doesn't sound all too bad, but it's against human nature. Without a purpose to do so, humans are selfish. In the end, aren't you helping someone for your own gain? This author also wrote another top self-help: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. (Apparently he likes long titles). This was about living in the now! And how we must surrender to the "Now" to rid ourselves of pain. I mean it idolizes "Now." Really? Now is a thought that is ever changing, at least idolize something you can hang in your closet. The reality being that pain is real, and we have to harness it, not try to pretend it doesn't exist.
There are so many books, I wish I could list them all. In the end they are all trying to find a way to rid us of suffering. Just like many other religions and beliefs. Buddhism says that if you stop desiring things, you won't suffer.
Kabbalah, a current Hollywood fad religion that has deep roots in Judaism came close to understanding pain.
"Our pain can be used against us in this ongoing battle, unless we deal directly with it and view it as a tool for growth and transformation. In this way, we are able to remove one of the Opponent's main weapons, resulting in greater personal fulfillment and, ultimately, a better world."
That is off the Barnes and Noble description of a book "Kabbalah on Pain: How to Use it to Lose it." (By the way, am I the only one that notices the use of the colon way too much in self-help book titles.)
I agree that pain can be used to grow us. James speaks in James chapter one, how trials are used to grow us. But Kabbalah believes that pain is one of the "Opponent's" weapons, and through confronting pain, we can remove it. The sad fact is the pain never goes away. I won't go into a huge discussion on pain here, but we can't pretend that we can remove it from life.
All of these books come down to one fact: people are searching. We are searching for meaning in life and will fill it with new diet fads, how to get a man, how to get a promotion, etc. We read books trying to find more fulfillment in our lives.
Ever heard the saying, "Why didn't life come with an instruction manual?" or heard someone ask, "What's the meaning in life?"
HELLLOOOOO
We were given an instruction manual that tells us the meaning of life!
So, if I had a self-help aisle, I would have just one book on it. I would place it in the middle of the store with spotlights, and the aisle would be called, "The meaning of LIFE and how to get it!" What would this book be, wait for it... wait for it...
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't read anything else. I love to read, and there are a lot of great books out there. I think I'll actually start posting some books I enjoy. But, if you are looking for books on guidance in your life, they should be Biblically based. It should be written by someone that you trust. And you can never go wrong with finding out more about the author.
So why don't people flock to the Bible if it's the end-all be-all of the meaning of life? Easy. Because it's hard! I'm not sugar coating anything here. We are saved by grace, but the Bible does not allow you to go on living a life of sin, selfishness, and pride. For us Americans, this just doesn't work. It's not comfortable. And, it doesn't end pain. In fact, the Bible says you will have pain.
However, it also says in Isaiah 43: 1-2:
But now, O Israel, the LORD who created you says: "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
Now, seeing as though with or without God, pain is unavoidable, I'll choose the one that ends in vicotry for me and the glory for God!
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