The Powerful Three

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Ok, enough commercials. I’ve been reading through Luke 21 the past few days and have really been taken by one of Jesus warnings. Now, I should admit that passages warning of the end times remind me of the bad comics I’ve seen in Chick Tracts so I tend to gloss over them. Awful, I know. But as I spent some time reading this section of Luke 21 I was drawn to verse 34; “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighted down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”

Have you ever had an anxiety attack? I have. It feels like trying to breathe under water. The air is thick and heavy and your pulse races like you are running up hill in the rain. It’s miserable. And it’s powerful. According to this verse it’s powerful enough to distract you from wars, persecution, and natural disasters. Judging from my past experiences I believe it. In verse 34 Jesus lists anxiety as one of three things with enough strength to pull our attention away from His signs if we aren’t careful.

Jesse and I have talked about the many ups and downs of addiction and recovery here before. I’ve learned that the things that fuel the addictive cycle are the things listed in verse 34; dissipation (or self indulgence), drunkenness, and anxiety. We’ve seen these things have so much power and influence that they distract us from all of the important things that are happening in our world right now like family, work, and friendships.

As I’ve watched this journey of recovery, often from the sidelines, it has been unbelievable to me to think that these catalysts could be strong enough to pull someone’s attention away from what is important in this life. It’s a comfort for me to see that Jesus isn’t surprised. He knows how powerful these things are (powerful enough that they can pull your attention way from the signs of the end times!) and gives us a cautious warning about it. More than that he give us a hope: pray constantly, stay alert, have faith.

What are your thoughts on Luke 20 or 21 or the power of dissipation and anxiety?

Tomorrow I’ll be reading Luke 22-24.