Do You Have a Crutch? I Do.

Several years ago, former WWF superstar and sitting Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura uttered the following words. "Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers." When I first heard this, my initial reaction was disgust and anger. Then I thought about it a little bit more and I came to the conclusion that I'm ok with my relationship with Jesus Christ being labeled a 'crutch.' Some of you may cringe when I say this, so let me explain.

A crutch is defined as 'a support used by an injured or disabled person...as an aid to walking.'

The first thing that we must realize is that all of us as humans are injured or disabled by sin. Our 'injury' keeps us from having a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether a person believes in God or not is irrelevant to this fact: all of humanity is looking for something to give them stability as they walk through life. Whatever a person chooses to use for that stability is by definition a crutch. Let's look at some of the common crutches used and see which one is the wisest option.

1. Money. How many times have we heard it said that having money can solve all of life's problems? Far too many as it is simply not true. It seems that those who are wealthy are always looking for more wealth. If money takes care of problems and makes you happy, why is a massive amount of money never enough for those who have it? Does money help when the person you love the most dies? What happens to your money if the market were to collapse? While it is certainly a viable crutch to an extent, it seems to be severely flawed at best and may buckle under the heaviest of life's circumstances.

2. Power. Having power makes you the ultimate decision maker in your life. No one else decides your course of action. It's all yours to do what you want to do with. No doubt about it power is enticing. However, to borrow a line from Spiderman, 'with great power comes great responsibility.' Having power may be enticing, but what happens when you make the wrong decision? Having all the power means shouldering the ultimate responsibility. Have you ever noticed that former presidents always seem to be much happier than the sitting president? Maybe power isn't all that.

3. Relationships. We all crave interaction with other people. The more people in our circle the higher our self esteem seems to climb. Having a social activity every night of the week provides a sense of worth to those who are desperately craving acceptance. Have you ever realized that the larger your circle, the larger the chance of getting stabbed in the back, the larger the chance that someone you love will suddenly reject you, and of course, the larger the chance that someone you love will die. I don't say this to discourage personal relationships. On the contrary, I encourage them. What is important is that you don't put too much stock in them. If people are your crutch, the crutch will collapse at some point and leave you lying on the ground struggling to get back up.

4. Jesus Christ. Name the one person in history who cared so deeply for you that they literally gave up their life for you. There is only one answer: Jesus. No matter what life throws at you, Jesus will not leave your side. Hebrews 13:5 is one of many biblical reminders that He will NEVER leave or forsake us. You see, it doesn't matter what I've done wrong, He loves me the same. Acknowledgement of His lordship and the receipt of His sacrifice grant me access to God's kingdom for all of eternity. Is Jesus my crutch? Yes, and I am proud of it.