Druthers

“Druther”: it’s a contraction of “I’d rather,” or as a noun means “personal choice.”  For example, if I had my “druthers” between eating liver and crunchy green bell peppers, I druther take the peppers any day. But sometimes those “druthers” belong to negative choices. Although posted in jest, this photo of our family cat (“Keep your paws off my remote”) suggests how entertainment can grip us like a cat’s claws. It’s not just about television (programming, videos/DVDs). So can the internet (browsing, games, social media), smart-phone play, music devices, and, on the darker side, pornography. Though technology has changed, the problem is old. Even back in the First century, Peter warned about the “druthers”: “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

J. Oswald Sanders, a great missionary leader and preacher in the last century, wrote in The Joy of Following Jesus (Moody, 1994, p. 80): “In one sense, life consists largely of making habits and breaking habits, for we are all creatures of habit.  We are unconsciously forming and fracturing habits all the time, and for that reason this area of life must be brought under Christ’s control.  It is an essential part of the soul’s education.”

Contrary to some popular thinking, God doesn’t treat us like marionettes or string puppets, twisting the guide strings this way and that to rid us of bad habits. They must be broken the way they were made: by our own choices. We’re not left alone in that task: “It is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Sanders added: “The aid of the Holy Spirit is always available in the forming of a new and good habit, but it is we who must do it.  God does not act instead of us: it is a partnership.”

When a negative habit lures, some have found it helpful to pray right then, either aloud or silently, “With God’s help, I choose not to do this.” Being accountable to a trusted friend or group may help. So may keeping a log of how much time this habit takes. Sometimes the wake-up call about a habit is a desperate circumstance, like a family crisis, arrest or intervention that leads to a rehab center. 

Not all habits are bad. Saunders points out this one: “In the culture of the soul, no habit is more crucial and formative than maintaining a consistent devotional life—a regular time reserved for fellowship and communion with God.  Not everyone finds that easy, but its importance and value cannot be exaggerated. Since that is the case, it is only reasonable to expect that the habit will be the focus of relentless attack from our adversary” (p. 81).

Talking about “druthers,” Satan would “druther” we neglect habitually drawing close to God. At such times, we need to dig in with spiritual claws and tell Satan to scoot!

Oscarmania

I’m old enough to remember when Oscar Meyer wieners were synonymous with picnicking. In my child’s dresser-drawer pile of collectibles I once had a little brown wiener-shaped whistle with the company’s logo. Today, I supposed it might be worth something to a collector. Sorry, it went to the great cemetery of trinkets.

Then there’s the old-fashioned name of “Oscar.” I suppose somewhere in my Norwegian heritage there was an “Oscar.” It’s only two layers away in my husband’s Scotch-Irish lineage, with his maternal grandfather. I discouraged any thoughts of naming our firstborn “Oscar,” as his unfortunate initials would have been “OZ,” as in “Wizard of…” (I also joked about this for a name: Xerxes Yardley Zornes. Nobody else would have had luggage monogrammed “XYZ.”)

But the “Oscar” that amuses and perplexes me the most is the “Oscarmania” that surfaces in the doldrums of February. It’s one huge party that Hollywood puts on to pat itself on the back. It’s when the stars glitter in gowns styled for maximum exposure. And as is true in any contest, only one name is in the sealed envelope, but everybody has worked hard in his or her part of the profession.

The worldly values that Hollywood has espoused for years are not mine. I applaud, not the so-called “winners,” but those working inside the industry who are Christ-followers and seeking to honor Him. It’s not easy.

I was thinking about our Hollywood-flavored, pleasure-seeking culture when I ran across the word “pleasure” in scripture. We’re told that our adoption into God’s family came “in accordance with [God’s] pleasure and will” (Ephesians 1:5). As we seek to live according to God’s purposes for us, we’re to remember that “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 KJV). Our English word for “pleasure” usually connects to the idea of something that satisfies my human desires or is “fun.” But the Greek word used here, eudokia, denotes something that pleases because it is good and right. When God is pleased with something, it’s because it reflects His perfect, generous, gracious character. That lifts our whole purpose to high levels, of exalting and pleasing God.

Somehow, “Oscarmania” in Hollywood doesn’t measure up. There’s a critical emptiness beyond the trophies and toasts. The apostle Paul didn’t bring attention to his wealth, good looks or gowns. He lived on missionary support, was reputedly short and plagued with eye problems, and wore the same basic outfit every day. But as his career came to an end, this is what he anticipated as his eternal prize: “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). In my book, that beats any golden statue.