Living On Luck

First, a disclaimer: It is inevitable that my frequent attempts at creativity cross paths with those who have previously published insights and information, even if only title-wise. I would estimate that 20% of my blog hits are people searching on “clothed and in his right mind” and in their information gathering endeavors, they click on the link for my post of a similar title from years ago (hopefully at least a few of them have found something worthwhile).
I suspect that the hit ratio will increase even more since the title this post ‘Living on Luck’ is already well related to a book by Charles Bukowski. I’ve never read Charles’ book so I can assure you, that although the titles are the same, any similarities between this post and the aforementioned book are purely coincidental.

When I sit back and ponder life, I conclude that there is really only two choices: Either live for Christ, or don’t. I know, quite profound eh? However, it seems to me that the droves of people who chose “Don’t” believe for the most part, that they’ve chosen something at least comparable, if not better than Christ, even if only temporarily.
And that’s the key: To assume or argue that Christianity can offer you a better NOW than say a good investment into the stock market or even taking up a cause to bring about world peace, is about as futile as convincing you that I can get a turtle to fly by gluing wings on its back.

Much of our media driven, self-promoting, overindulgent world looks at Christians, even devout ones that exude genuine peace and joy, and still come away with the thought – “But what’s the use?” On the surface, the general conception seems to be that most Christians are no happier, or better off than any other group of people.
Trust me, this is not an indictment against Christians, it’s just a fact of the matter: It’s not that people DON’T want Christ (...well, partly); it’s just that most are much more consumed with the idea of what they DO want (even in addition to Christ). People want “the good life”, and the absence of struggles. If being ‘In Christ’ meant only good stuff now (as some do preach), the world would be full of Christians. But to the unenlightened, Christianity seems to be more about dying than living. So in weighing their options and seeking for good stuff NOW, people take their chances, cross their fingers and throw themselves into “Living on Luck”.
There can be little doubt that from the looks of things, there’s a heck of a lot of lucky people. There are people who are rich and famous for absolutely no discernible reason other than ‘the luck of the draw’, and for many, this just doesn’t make sense in light of the fact that we have a God who ‘Owns the cattle on a thousand hills’ (Psalm 50:10).
It goes further; there are those unashamedly immersed in notoriety, riches, and care-free living that absolutely deny Christ – that can be quite an issue for some, especially in the midst of struggle or grieving loss.
More times than not, lucky lives looks way better than committed ones.

Of course, I didn’t start out to produce a depressing reflection on how unfair life can seem… not at all. This is about a matter of focus. And here’s the quintessential question that we as Christians should e‘er keep at the forefront of our minds: What about AFTER now? You could choose to play your lucky numbers, end up with the stars aligning for you, or the odds ever being in your favor, but that can never prepare you for after now. Living on luck may indeed provide pleasurable options, but it’s all short-lived.

Here’s The Word:

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Ahhhh…. Eternity! The great equalizer! Can you imagine how infantile our envying or our efforts for good stuff now will look 1 minute into eternity? … How about a million years from now? I bet it will be quite laughable. On second thought, it may not be laughable at all; it may be regrettable as we wasted time considering the benefits of lucky, when we could’ve been that much more committed to Christ, as He will be there in our living presence and the clarity of His sacrifice for us will be inescapable.

So if you’ve stumbled across this post in your efforts to find information on Charles Bukowski, or if you’re a frequent visitor here, I pray that you let His Word be your Guide and choose to get to know HIM better…even the fellowship of His sufferings rather than have your eyes enticed by temporary good and your attentions pulled to Living on Luck.


In Him,
Cros