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Have you accidentally fallen into the quagmire of today’s society without even realising it? Have you stumbled into a quagmire of your own making? Perhaps you have been like the frog sitting in refreshingly cold water one day without noticing the temperature rising until boiling point is reached? Read on to find out whether you have succumbed, or are about to succumb unwittingly to the perils of this age.
Firstly, what does the word quagmire mean? We do not often hear or see this word used much anymore — the origin of which is derived from the Old English language. The definition from Your Dictionary online is “a difficult and complex situation or precarious predicament with no easy solution”. Another meaning is “a soft, boggy area of land that gives way under foot”. Quagmire brings to my mind thoughts of quicksand, which as the word suggests, is quick. Unlike quicksand, quagmire on the other hand sounds like one becomes stuck in it but not necessarily swallowed up by it if able to be removed or rescued. It is definitely not a good place or situation to be in, that is for sure, as it can be fatal.
One analogy that is quite powerful and gets the message across clearly can be read on the website moralstories.org regarding the “The Frog in Hot Water”. Here is what it says…once a frog fell into a vessel of cold water which was on a gas stove. The frog did not try to jump out of the vessel, instead just stayed in it. As the temperature of water started to rise, the frog managed to adjust its body temperature accordingly. As the water started to reach boiling point, the frog was no longer able to keep up with adjusting its body temperature according to the water temperature. The frog tried to jump out of the vessel but with the water temperature reaching boiling point, the frog was not able to cope and couldn’t jump out. The moral of the story was that the frog couldn't save itself due to its inability to decide when it had to jump out. We all need to adjust according to the situation, but there are times when we need to face the situation and take the appropriate action while we have the strength to do so before it’s too late. Walk out before you need to jump. Don’t be like the frog.
In order to figure out whether we are becoming bogged in the quagmire of life through this society’s desire for total freedom and to do what is right in their own eyes, we need to examine ourselves intently. Any time of year is a good time to do this, but especially so pre-Passover, which is only a short time away. Now is the perfect time for self scrutiny. So where do we start? Wouldn’t you love to know what God would say directly to you if you could ask Him? Well you can! This should be done through prayer and fasting. If it has been a while, start quietly, slowly; just begin by talking like you would with a friend...maybe a long lost friend? Perhaps you may be like the Prodigal Son the Bible talks about in Luke 15:11-32. Perhaps today is the very day you will turn your life around forever.
For now, it does not matter how you sunk into the quagmire but just that you realise things are not truly working out and you're asking for help from God to get you out. He will rescue you because that is how much He loves you. Your sincerity and repentance counts of course. Don’t be cold or stiff necked like the Israelites. Allow God to enter or re-enter your heart. Circumstances may have dealt you some terrible times but you are stronger than you think. No matter how bad your situation, God can fix it. You may not know exactly how, but He can and will. Be open to allowing Him to help but this means you do need to swallow any pride. This is not easy...I have been there. Pride stops us from so many things. It is not a helpful emotion to have and we need to deal with it by firstly recognising and removing it. Can’t be done? God can do anything as we read in Matthew 19:26. Give it all to Him.
You may be tired, weary, fatigued, close to giving up, fed up, angry, depressed, anxious, frustrated, disgusted, sick or beset with illness which is taking away all your energy, wondering and thinking what is the use to anything anymore? Been there, done that. It is bad. Not saying it will be easy. Most likely it could be one of the hardest things you will ever have to do. Letting go of all the negative thoughts and emotions is one of the most therapeutic things ever! The solution is to take small steps…one foot in front of the other until you reach a momentum that is unstoppable.
Read the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 and put yourself in the son’s position of leaving home and living his life the way he wanted to until everything he had was gone and then bad times set in. Allow yourself to feel these emotions that may be deep inside and buried within the very core of your heart. The son thought he knew better than his Father. He squandered his inheritance and enjoyed all the days of abundance but did not plan for the long term or the future when he may enter hard times. Sounds like he was surrounded by many people he thought were his friends but at the end of all the lavish living where were those friends now? He found out the hard way that they were never truly his friends at all. Have you been in this situation before? People can be nice to your face and hide their true intentions at the same time. The Bible refers to this principle in Proverbs 19:6.
Now read the same account from the viewpoint of the father. Imagine having your son return after months or years of time away, not knowing whether he was alive or dead, safe or in trouble. The relief the father felt was absolute, total, he came alive again and full of joy. He wanted to celebrate. This was the greatest joy he could experience on that day — restoration of his family. This is exactly how God feels — your spiritual Father in heaven rejoices to have you back again (Luke 15:7, Matthew 18:12-14). We do not read of any scolding or “I told you so” from the father to the son. Instead the passage ends with feasting, making merry, and time spent together becoming reacquainted. Oh how the father desires this most deeply. The only decision you need to make today is to say to God…”I am here, come rescue me, I will listen to you and do all that you say”. Make the decision, you will not be sorry. Allow our Father to rescue you from yourself and this wicked, perverse, evil society that decides it will do anything it deems right (Psalm 12:1-8). They do not know what is right anymore due to hardening of their hearts against God and His way (Matthew 13:15-17).