Running Mindlessly

Found this in my devotional today, which reading at school and i thought it was really interesting. Take a quick read!

In Buddhism, a thangka painting typically portrays the wheel of life—the historic representation of the nature of human existence. Central to the painting is the circle of life, which has no beginning or end. Life with its endless reincarnations is a spinning wheel that never stops. Perhaps most ominous about the thangka is that the hands and feet of the devil grip the wheel from behind. It’s obvious who is in control of such a spinning history of futility.

In my office I have a painting by a Christian from Tibet who created a very different thangka. In this thangka, the wheel of life has been invaded by Christ’s incarnation and transcended by Christ’s resurrection. And the hands and feet of the devil are broken free from the wheel. As our text states, Christ disarmed “the powers and authorities” and “made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Billions of people in our world think that life has no real purpose—that we’re like hamsters on a spinning wheel, running forever in meaningless circles. But history is under God’s control; it had a beginning and will have an end. The devil’s defeat means a world in which all things are made new—even the likes of you and me.

~ Today's Devotionals (iPhone App)

"The hands and feet of the devil are broken free from the wheel." This wheel represented life, the constant battle between world, sin, temptations, struggles and difficulties, we constantly want to give in, and its just too much effort and work to fight it through, but will you fight the good fight? Before, the devil was holding your "wheel of life". After accepting Christ, he's come into your life, broken off the devil's grasp on you and have set you free.

"The devil's defeat means a world in which all things are made new..." All things are made new, your life, your actions, your mind, your heart and your soul. You've been forgiven, given another chance, another shot. A clean slate, no record of any wrongs. God has already conquered the devil, and so can you with his aid and guidance.

Are we like "a hamster on a spinning wheel, running forever in meaningless circles"? Indulging in things we should not be? Or have you stepped off that wheel and have realized your purpose in life?

verse of the day: Colossians 2:15

¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.