Essert

Psalm 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

 

You would think that a professional footballer would know better, but today’s news story of the Steelers’ quarterback being involved in a motor bike crash, and receiving serious facial injuries because he wasn’t wearing a helmet, just proves how ‘essert’ human beings can be. (Essert is an old Scottish word which means stubborn and ornery rolled into one). In this case, the footballer, who wears helmet protection on the sports field, opted to express his freedom by not wearing a safety helmet whilst riding his super-charged motor bike. Evidently, he felt that his independent thinking was more important to him than the head which carries all of those precious free will thoughts. I would hope that after this experience, he’ll be wearing a helmet both on and off the field of play.

 

Anyway, all of this kind of reminded me about our own essert ways. We all like to be fiercely independent and we all like to maintain our free will, but sometimes our stubborn and mule-headed ways cause us more pain, trouble and grief than we ever bargained for. During my worst moments of alcohol addiction, I wouldn’t listen to those around me that I was heading into the gutter. I thought that I could handle my liquor and cared little for what other people were saying. Then one night in the pub, as I was merrily drinking myself into an alcoholic stupor, all of my friends got up from the table and left me.

 

To this day, I don’t know what I did to offend or disappoint them. All that I know is I was left on my own because I had said or done something which affronted them.

 

Sometimes we burden ourselves with troubles of our own making. Sometimes we get into situations that become crises because of our own daft notions and reckless choices.  Eventually these troubles will wear us out and tear us down. I know, because I’ve been there, and it’s not a healthy place. In my case, when I recognized my problem and took it sincerely to God, He lifted me, corrected me, directed me, and accepted me. Ever since then, I praise Him, for I truly know that He is my daily burden-bearer. He is the One who saved me from my essert-driven self.

 

Prayer:             Lord God, what is it about us that we become our own worst enemies? Why do we have to put ourselves through so much trouble and grief? Help us to seek the right remedies for our remedial ways; give us guidance to set our lives back on godly paths. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.