The Fantasy of Being Rescued

This article makes me think.

Certainly I struggle with the fantasy of being rescued. Not from my financial situation, per se, but from other weak areas of my life. A certain part of me believes that one day, I will (magically?) change and everything I wish I were will be true; I’ll be harder working, less easily discouraged, selfless, happier, in need of less sleep, thick-skinned, etc.

“The fantasy of being rescued,” according to this article, is based on the fear that we won’t be able to succeed on our own, and that we will need an outside influence to “save the day.” The problem is when the “prince charming”  back-up plan is about as sturdy as sand, and actually undermines the confidence we need to go to task on our present situation.

This fear does seem to be based in a lack of trust. For the author of the article, it’s a lack of trust in oneself. One of the factors being that that self is a woman, and women don’t have a history of being successful financially.

I don’t relate in the same way, because my default is to trust God to provide for me. At first glance this would seem like a “rescue fantasy,” except that my faith is in something tried and true. God has provided for me financially, he has “saved me” as literally physically as He has spiritually. There is no “fantasy” in relying on God to provide for you.

Yet, this article got under my skin and I found myself reading it over quite a few times because I felt like it had something to say to me and where I’m at with my faith.

You see, God can save me, and has, and will, but not if I act like I don’t want it. Sure, in my head, I want it. But what fruit is there of that? My life isn’t this pre-written play that I can sit back and watch myself act out, where one day I’ll be good and reformed and stronger than ever. It’s a day-by-day choice, on my end, to decide to follow, believe, and trust. And act like it.

I have a rescue fantasy with God. I think he’s going to do the work and that I can just rest in my sin until one day I wake up changed. I don’t want to do the work of following. I don’t want to do the work of transforming my mind. I don’t think I really know what it means to repent.

The article ends with this:

“When we become conscious of our rescue fantasies, we can finally let them go—and discover the power to rescue ourselves.”

Yes, and no. I recognize that the real rescuing was done by Christ on the cross. I am no longer a slave to my sin, but I am often found immobilized, and not tapped into the power to change, the power to choose.

I think that’s the issue with me. It’s that I fear I don’t have the power to choose to follow Jesus. But I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So in many ways, I don’t have the power, but I do, if I just recognize who is with me always, who has already overcome the world. Yes, in this life we will have struggles, but I must have hope in Christ, who is already the victor.

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