By: Robert McCluskey
Submitted: 2010-08-29 06:04:55 | Word Count: 1208
In the past I have written about the relationship between expectations and reality. That relationship can generate frustration, so I provided a few suggestions about how we can alter the relationship to decrease frustration. In this article is I want to discuss a bit more about "reality." Stay with me during the early part of the discussion. The topic may seem technical at first, but it really is not. Actually, I just do not possess the technical knowledge to confuse most people!
Science advance a rule of the universe called "entropy." In common words, entropy states that the universe inevitably tends to shift from order to a state of disorder. Most of us recognize this as a result of common sense: cultures decay, objects wear out and people age. Except, if you think about it you will notice a puzzle with this logic: "moving to a state of disorder" implies that at some point order existed and, probably, perfect order. That means that entropy has not always been in effect as a universal law.. Science attempts to clarify this problem by admitting that entropy can be temporatily overcome when extra order-producing energy is brought into localized systems. According to them, we can have evolution for a limited time and in a limited locale (like on a planet).. Evolution is only a transitory, local event in particular settings.
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However, science modifies this rationalization by revealing to us that increasing order in one time and place has to occur at the expense of even more disorder in some other time and place. In other words, they insist that mathematics and physics oblige entropy to be a universal assumption when considered in a universal framework. In fact, that is all right with me. Some folks have stated that it is unChristian to go along with with science on this subject, but it seems proper to me, at least at this point in our history.
The Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in them, and that when He finished they were good. (Genesis 1:1-31) We become aware that He created the first human beings to live forever, apparently devoid of illness or death. The Bible shows us that humankind's first surroundings were flawless. It did not even have weeds! Humans didn't have to labor to preserve it because nothing was wrong with it. (Genesis 3:1-24) They were able to be deeply aware of their relationship with God because they were not continuously distracted by the necessity to continue to exist in a ruined world. I characterize it as a place and time of "no entropy." No disorder was to be found there, it was a perfect place.
Enter sin. It seems that, Godset only one regulation in this perfect universe and the first man and woman chose to violate it. (Genesis 3:6) The Bible indicates that this distorted not only their relationship with God, but the fundamental nature of the universe.
Enter entropy. Everything that had earlier been perfect in the world now begins to drift toward disorder, physically and morally.(Genesis 3:17-24) No doubt, humans are smart enough to design some transient, local systems that appear to be physically and morally in order, but they are created at the expense of the world as a whole, and they always decline in due course. Of course, the local principles of nature, including mutation, nonetheless yield some isolated cases of evolution, but they are overshadowed by the global tendency in the other direction.
So, How does this talk of physics relate to frustration?? I'm going to mention two facts about the quality of the Christian life that can assist us with our perspective:
Entropy is normal in this universe. Right now in history it is normal for people to age and die and for machinery to wear out. Economies crash and people are harmed in a structure with entropy.. Every structured system, from a car to a human being, occupies a point on a route between perfect and non-existent as a result of entropy. Thoroughly notice that there is no continuum from "perfect" to "imperfect." Everything that is not perfect is imperfect. There are no degrees of imperfect.. Much of our frustration stems from the fact that we are told to "strive for perfection" in everything we do. When we catch sight of ourselves, we instantly compare ourselves to a younger, healthier version of us. We are so disheartened by comparing ourselves to perfection that we can't martial the energy to optimize our real person.. We have a problem being grateful for our cars because the concept we have of them is the idea we formed the day we saw them on the dealer's floor. We will not be able to elude our frustrations until we adopt a realistic concept of how our lives "really ought to be.".
We are currently living in an abnormal world, but we won't be here much longer. When Satan influenced the first humans to make their own desires more worthy than God's wishes for their lives, he not only stole our lives, he robbed us of our world. Our souls have already been rescued through God's forgiveness. He is going to release and repair our physical world at some point, as well. Until that time everyone who lives in human flesh will be continually tempted to make the same choices that the first humans made, to become caught up with life and having fun in the existing world. Even this is normal, especially for the "flesh." (Galatians 5:16-26) For this current time we strive to live like people who are affluent and full of health rather than people who are desperately destitute and afraid. Existing in this spoiled world is abnormal for Christians but, for this moment, we must put up with it. To acknowledge the conditions of the current situation while at the same time living for the faultless world that is coming is to leave many of our frustrations in the trash.
I am on occasion asked, "Does all that imply that I am expected to be happy that I'm growing older, feeling ill and that my vehicle is kaput?. Is it unChristian to be displeased? Quite simply, my response is "No." However, frustration does not occur from being displeased about your circumstances. Frustration arises from your expectations about your circumstances. it's possible to be unhappy about something and still not be frustrated with it. Whenever I am annoyed by aches and pains, it doesn't provide comfort to tell myself that it doesn't have any effect on me.. But, the truth is that when I was a younger man I didn't even think I would be alive at this time. This point of view helps me realize the pointlessness of coveting or being afraid of any future minute.
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