trusted online casino malaysia
Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
ReVision

The Best Laid Plans

Conditions don't always pan out the way we'd hoped.

The Religion of Secularism (4)

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God … 2 Timothy 3.1-4

A hierarchy of gods
The god of self commands the ultimate devotion of those who practice the religion of secularism. Seated alongside the god of self, his executive deity, as it were, is the god of happiness, who changes form according to the fickle requirements of the self.

The god of happiness has at his disposal a troika of lesser deities to aid him in serving the changing and often unpredictable demands of the god of self. And, as in all pagan religions, where a wide range of unseen powers must be invoked from time to time, depending on these lesser gods is not always as satisfying as one might hope. Here the adherents of the religion of secularism might learn a lesson from the various failed paganisms of the past.

For example, in book VII of City of God Augustine took on the Roman religion of his day. In a masterful tour de force of pagan beliefs and practices, the great bishop showed the confused, contradictory, incongruent, and feckless state of the Roman pantheon. His treatment is comical, brilliant, and sad as he demonstrates the follies men will turn to rather than worship the one, true God.

In the course of his exposé, Augustine distinguished between two levels or tiers of gods. The most important – measured by their widespread acceptance, recognition, and putative powers – he referred to as “the select gods.” In the religion of secularism, the select gods, as we have seen, are the uniquely personal god of self or will, and the shape-shifting god of happiness. These rule on the Olympus of secular religion, and command the devotion of all adherents.

The second level of gods Augustine referred to as “meaner gods.” By this, he meant that they were lower in importance because they existed primarily to serve the select deities, so that these primary gods could enjoy maximum adoration by bringing maximum satisfaction to their devotees. The problem with these meaner gods, however, is that they frequently found themselves in competition with other lesser deities, and could be powerless to fulfill the demands imposed upon them.

Something like this hierarchy of deities exists in the religion of secularism as well. Here we may identify three “meaner” gods, whose purpose is to assist the god of happiness in bringing satisfaction to the supreme god of self. These “meaner” gods of secularism are experience, possessions, and position. We’ll consider each of them briefly, and, in the process, we’ll see that they can be “meaner” not just because they are lower on the secular totem pole.

The god of experience
The god of experience acts according to the dictates of happiness to surround the god of self with whatever circumstances and conditions he may require for maximum fulfillment and satisfaction. The god of experience is a concierge of many talents, but with limited powers. He has a fixed remit – maintain agreeable conditions – and that remit can accommodate many different designs. His role is to provide just the right set of circumstances, at any moment, to maximize the self’s sense of happiness.

So, for example, the self may require an experience of excitement, adventure, or fun in order to satisfy some whim or longing – not continuously, but in measured doses, as at a sporting event, a rock concert, a tryst, a winning lottery ticket, or on vacation.

At another time, the self may prefer peace and quiet, to be able to think or rest. The meaner god of experience then works to comply with the demands of self and happiness, if only for a brief time. Cell phones are turned off. Appointments are cancelled and obligations postponed. A special hideaway or retreat may be secured, to satisfy the needs of the self.

At other times, the self may require conditions either of danger or security, high risk or total predictability, teamwork or individual conquest. Whatever the self dictates, the god of happiness conceives, and enlists the meaner god of experience to bring into being such conditions or circumstances as may satisfy the need or desire of the moment.

An unreliable deity
But the god of experience is not always, shall we say, a five-star concierge. No matter how carefully one plans or how earnestly one hopes, circumstances frequently conspire against the secular celebrant, frustrating the purposes of happiness, and leaving the self disappointed, wounded, or worse.

For, in any situation, the god of experience serves many masters, and many shape-shifting notions of happiness, to satisfy many different selves. Competition among selves in any situation can arise, and the god of experience is not sufficiently powerful to satisfy the demands or fulfill the hopes of all who require his services.

And if, in the melee of competing desires, such as Paul outlined it in 2 Timothy 3.1-4, some of those selves are slighted, or their hoped-for conditions either don’t pan out or must be postponed, well, that’s just the way things go in a universe where the supreme deity has only so much power and ability to control the circumstances of life and realize the happiness he seeks.

As Robbie Burns might put it, “The best laid plans,” and all that.

So the god of experience can seem mean not only because he is inferior to the gods of self and happiness, but because the circumstances or conditions he does bring to pass frequently disappoint. But the god of experience is not the only meaner deity who can dampen or dash the hopes of the finite self.

For reflection
1.  How is it evident to you that many people seek happiness in agreeable circumstances? How do such people react when circumstances are not to their liking?

2.  Meditate on Philippians 4.4-7. Comment on this passage as an approach to dealing with disagreeable circumstances.

3.  Meditate on Hebrews 12.1, 2. How did Christ handle the adverse circumstances He faced? Were His circumstances His god? Explain.

Next steps – Preparation: How do your secular friends deal with adverse circumstances? When conditions aren’t just what they want, what do they do? Ask a few of them? Do you see any of their responses to adversity in yourself?

T. M. Moore

For a more complete study of the book of Ecclesiastes, download our Scriptorium series on Ecclesiastes by clicking here. Ecclesiastes is an excellent book to share with an unbelieving friend, as it confronts all the idols and vain hopes of unbelief, exposing their folly and holding out the hope of life in God alone. We’ve prepared a verse translation of Ecclesiastes which is suitable for sharing with believers and unbelievers alike. Order your copy of Comparatio, by clicking here.

We look to the Lord to provide for our needs, and He does so through those who are served by this ministry. Please prayerfully consider becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe with your financial gifts. You can send your tax-free contribution to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452, or use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

Subscribe to Ailbe Newsletters

Sign up to receive our email newsletters and read columns about revival, renewal, and awakening built upon prayer, sharing, and mutual edification.