Reality Check

Tonight, since I am on break, I caught a little bit of TV while laying aside my homework for awhile. I happened to catch an episode of "Survivor." Now, I have seen a couple episodes of this show over the past couple years and it can be entertaining at times, I'll admit. But tonight, it really disgusted me, and not because they had to eat worms or anything. It struck me in a really hard way. First, we are supposed to feel bad for these people when they are hungry or thirsty or have blisters or sunburn or what have you. But it's a game show and they chose to be on there- all for the sake of money! And there are real people in the world suffering from real situations who don't get money out of it. (I think we have all come to grips with the fact that "reality TV" is far from reality...I hope.) So I don't really feel too sympathetic for these people. Well, let me take that back. I have sympathy on them for another reason. I think that this show exemplifies, brilliantly exposes, the total depravity of man. In other words, man is unable to do good apart from the grace of God...he only sins. (Romans 3:10) These people go on this show to win the million dollars- at any cost. As the show progresses there is all manner of deceit and lying and backstabbing and foul play. At the bottom is the selfishness and pride that is at the root of sinfulness. They do everything for their own gain. This is very pitiable to me. But there is something perhaps worse. It involves all you viewers out there. We sit in our comfy homes and watch this "reality TV" and criticize these people for the way they are acting. But we wonder what we would do in the same situation and perhaps applaud the strategic moves of our favorite players. But look at these people! When you see them monkeying around on TV with their lies and shouting matches, doesn't it all look very sick and childish? When magnified on a TV, don't we scoff at them? But how similar are our lives to theirs. And how often do we pursue selfish gain over smaller sums than a million dollars. And I guess it really made me ask, "As Christians, what are we really striving for? What is our end?" Don't answer too quickly. Because we may answer correctly in our Christian lingo that Jesus Christ is our be all and end all, but what do our lives say? Your life speaks your theology much louder than your words ever could. What is precious in our lives? What would we die to have? Is it Christ? Are we taking up our crosses daily for Christ? Is our hope in him or in the world? I guess, I don't have a lot to say today. It's just a challenge to myself and to you to examine what your life tells about the goal for which you are competing.