17 Oct

Old Faithless

posted by Mike Blackaby

I remember our old T.V. When it was new, it was the pride of our basement. It carried us through our teenage years, adapting to each new game system to meet our entertainment needs. Parties gathered around to watch legendary sports events. Memories and laughter were the products of its faithful service to us, and it stood as a grandfatherly figure, guarding the den of our home. And then one day, it got old… It started as a flicker, and later it became a black out, until exploding into full blown Narcolepsy. Without warning, the T.V. screen would suddenly shutdown. My brother and I would be seconds away from beating a level (after the 763rd try) on the Playstation and it would black out; the Stanley Cup final would be in it’s last moments and it would black out; breaking news about aliens harvesting earth could be flashing and our T.V. would choose THAT moment to black out.

In frustration, we realized that the wires in the back had to be readjusted every time to bring the picture back. However, my brother discovered that he could throw an object at the T.V. that would jar it enough to move the wires without even leaving the couch. So began the tradition of adding every pillow in the house to the couch before using the T.V. so that we had sufficient ammunition. Despite this, I came down stairs one day to find my brother fuming. The T.V. was buried in enough bedding to accommodate a large slumber party. He turned to me and seethed, “I think we need a new T.V., I’ve tried everything!”

I have a problem in my Christian life. It’s called sin, and I can’t seem to stop doing it, and at the worst time. God gives me victory over one thing, just for something else to take its place. I find myself begging God to take away my anger or my selfishness, only for it to return again when I think I have it under control. My tendency has always been to ask God to change my circumstances, or at least my reaction to them. I’ll apologize to God when I mess up and promise to do better next time. What never occurred to me is that I may need something more. What I really need is a new heart. I want God to fix the problem at its source. If my heart is soiled, then I will fail, regardless of the circumstances. I need to pray the prayer found in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” When I get knocked out by sin, I need God to craft in me a new heart and restore my steadfast spirit. When the old one doesn’t seem to work, it’s time for a new one. It is time to ask God to create a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit because, no matter how many pillows I throw, I cannot fix the problem on my own.

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About the Author

Mike Blackaby is a 22 year old student who plays guitar in a rock band, loves to snowboard, play hockey, and cheers for the Colorado Avalanche. He is terrified of spiders, but loves reading fantasy novels, watching movies, taking road trips, building camp fires, and will do any roller coaster if someone goes with him. You can contact him via Facebook.

Read more about Mike here.