Choosing Slavery over Freedom

A comment posted by Colin on the topic of: Don't be shy, tell us how you REALLY feel..., got me to thinking. He said, "I have never been to the point of giving up on God (in fact that smacks of complete immature junior high - or even kindergarten behaviour..."

While I commend Colin for never entertaining the idea of going back on God, however, millions of others have done just that. As a matter of fact, they've retreated so far that they no longer even believe the God they once "worshiped" even exists now. How can such a dramatic 180 degree turn happen in the life of a Christian? I have a theory. It may take me a few moments to fully articulate this theory so please keep reading... :)

First of all, let me say that though I understand there are countless people that once called lived for Jesus, they no longer do. And for some, they have what they believe are valid reasons for such a departure. I however, cannot understand any reason to walk away from Jesus as being a valid reason. Having said that, here is my theory.

God has come to the world and invited his people into a new realm of existence. Remember the Israelites in Egypt? They groaned and complained to God about being slaves, and rehearsed to him the terrible treatment they received at the hands of the Egyptians. They thought God was as cruel as their Egyptian masters since he had allowed them to become slaves. But when the good news came that God had appointed a deliverer for them, and that they were to leave Egypt, putting their slavery behind them, they were not so sure they wanted to leave. After Moses’ first visit to Pharaoh, the people wanted Moses to stop asking him to let them go. They discovered that leaving was difficult. Once they finally left, they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt." NUMBERS 14:4

In the book of Acts, Stephen retells the story. God had said: “I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. . . . But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. They told Aaron, "Make us gods who will go before us." ACTS 7:34-40 Remember, that which they were asking of Aaron, in making the golden calf, was one of the gods of the Egyptians.

Why is it many prefer slavery to freedom?

This question is at the heart of the matter. How many times have I seen someone whose life is in shambles? Their life story is one of despair and ruin, yet when the opportunity for a new life is presented to them, they turn away — not because they are not in need of help, but because they cannot imagine what a life of freedom would be like. How many times have I seen someone come to Christ and experience his presence and the glory of forgiveness, only to see them turn back to their old life of bondage because they were familiar with slavery, and freedom carried with it responsibilities and work?

Leaving a life of slavery seems harder than being a slave. The Israelites found their new life difficult and said, "We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic." NUMBERS 11:5

Can you imagine? Fish and food at no cost? And of all the things to remember and long for! They were thinking of their appetites and remembering the food of Egypt, and forgetting the taskmaster’s whip and back-breaking labor!

I think the best term for this is, NOSTALGIE DE LA BOUE which is a French term meaning, “To yearn for mud: attraction to what is unworthy, crude or degrading.

The Israelites became nostalgic over going to back to the crude and degrading existence they grew weary of in Egypt! Somehow and somewhere down the road, the life of slavery began to appeal to them. In 9 years of pastoring and 22 years of following Jesus, I've seen many people start down the path of freedom only to turn around, give up and go back into the bondage of slavery they came out of! Why? I can't accept the argument that somehow the Church failed them all and that they were so sorely mistreated by "Christians" that they no longer wanted to be part of it anymore. In my own personal experiences of working with people facing difficult issues in life, I have found that 100% of the ones that no longer live for God or even question his existence "went back" because they didn't want to take responsibility and work through their issues.

Going back to the old addictions, the old way, the familiar slavery was more appetizing and much easier than working through those addictions and old ways.

You see, if we're not willing to be honest with ourselves and do the hard work of enduring through persecution, withdraws, temptations and such, we'll find it much easier to just revert back to the bondage we so desperately wanted escape from. It's easy to fall back, it takes effort to push forward.

So why do people walk away from God? Dress it anyway you want, but ultimately we become nostalgie de la boue...