Self-help

Am I strange in really enjoying reading self-help books? I only like books that pertain to me in some way, I don't read in a general "lets learn about ..." manner. Although I suppose I could if I wanted to. But I, like most people, have certain problems and weaknesses and I enjoy reading books that address my issues. I like the feeling that I'm not alone in my experience and the reassuring voice of an author telling me that I can change if I only follow some simple steps ...

And I realised today that this is wrong.

I read the first day's message from The Message//Remix:Pause (hereafter referred to as 'Pause') today. And, yes, this is the post about it that I wasn't going to make. I read the first two chapters of Genesis and vs 1-18 from the first chapter of John. Pause posed a couple of questions relating to the passages of Scripture. And I found myself writing in my journal ...

Here's the deal. God created the world and everything in it. This includes me. God, therefore, knows how everything is supposed to work and how it actually works. Because you do know if you've made something yourself. God is, therefore, the authority on me. In fact, He is the only one who knows what I'm all about. And God wants to be in relationship with me. That's why He sent Jesus to die on the cross. He wants to be in relationship with me now and throughout eternity.

Now, if I'm in relationship with my Creator, why am I turning to the self-help authors when I'm in need of assistance? It's like asking a child to look at your car instead of taking it to a mechanic. And I'm sure (now) that it hurts God. Because He's right there beside me, just waiting to be asked.

I'm not going to ban self-help books. Because there are good, Christian authors out there whose work is helpful if if I combine it with seeking God for myself. I'm going to be a whole lot more discerning about my reading in this area and I'm going to school myself to Ask God First.