So now, Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” (Jonah 4:3 NASB)
Whenever I play a hole with a bunker or tree in the middle of the fairway where the architect intends the player to choose the left or right route, I just aim at the obstacle. I know that sounds foolish, but my thinking is that I almost never hit the ball right where I am aiming. It is not the strategy I would recommend, but it usually works.
This approach could only be explained by a characteristic unique to humans—cynicism.
I have always thought of myself as an optimist; however, the more trips I take around the sun, the more I find myself becoming cynical. This cynicism is not just something I see in my thoughts about my golf game but life in general. Can you relate?
You probably do not think of yourself as a cynic, so I will give you a challenge: ask a ten-year-old boy what he thinks he will be when he grows up, and check your internal response.
So, what is it about life that causes some of us to become cynical as we grow older?
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Cynicism is what happens when we lose sight of God’s kingdom and forget what he has already given us through Jesus.
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We expect to become wiser and mature spiritually as we age, but we never expect to grow more cynical. Nonetheless, it happens to many of us. We find this in many of the people we read about in the Bible. Like we see in today’s verse from the prophet Jonah, we also read similar thoughts from Job, Jeremiah, Elijah, Solomon, and nearly all the Israelites as they wandered in the desert.
Life is hard. It is painful. And without conviction of God’s promises, it can emotionally beat us to a pulp. This is probably why Jesus said, “Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
Children expect what their parents tell them to be true. They don’t worry about being deceived or things going wrong. However, as we grow older and experience disappointments, we start to expect them. This bitterness is what happens when we take our eyes off the kingdom of God. This kingdom is both now and not yet. We get to experience his intimacy and presence now, and we get to put our faith and hope in what he promises is still to come.
Cynicism is what happens when we lose sight of God’s kingdom and forget what he has already given us through Jesus. It happens when we lose hope in God and our status as his beloved children.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:16-18).
If you find yourself becoming more cynical, know that it doesn’t have to continue. You might just need to be reminded of the glorious outcome that has already been given to you.
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Josh Nelson
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at linksplayers.com.