I just read an article about a woman who was so addicted to plastic surgery that, over the course of a couple of decades, she subjected herself to so many surgeries that her face became horribly disfigured. When surgeons refused to operate on her any longer, she was led to begin silicone injections. Finally, her perspective became so warped that she was found to have injected a foreign substance under her facial skin believed to be cooking oil! What is so tragic to me about this story is how truly lovely the woman was in the beginning. When you see her “before” picture, it is remarkably clear that the one thing this woman could not do was see herself realistically. She was absolutely stunning, and her “addiction” turned her face into something that didn’t even look human. One asks the question….why? Why did this once beautiful woman turn her own face into a human pincushion? What made her believe herself to be so ugly and so unworthy of attention that she actually turned her own body into an object of disgust and horror. The article stated that, after all the fuss, now she wants her old face back. Sadly, it is too late for that.
It makes me think of close friends and family members I have known in my life who listened to a voice that promised them something wonderful, but delivered nothing but pain and destruction. Instead of approaching whatever emotional or mental pain they were bearing face-forward (no pun intended), they chose to go another route. The route of avoidance. From cases I’ve witnessed (as well as a few unsavory experiences of my own), I have determined that this is primarily achieved in a two-step process. Step One: Block out all accountability. This way you cannot and will not hear the truth when it is spoken directly to you by friends and loved ones. Step Two: Destroy yourself. This is done by either picking up some self-destructive habit or perhaps by making yourself impossible to be around. The methods are many, but the results are almost always the same. In the time spent glossing over or running away from a problem, the problem grows worse, and many never recover their equilibrium. The price of avoidance is always high!
I am reminded of a friend who had a rotting window frame on the front of her home. I suggested that we look into having the wood replaced, but she chose instead to simply paint gobs and gobs of thick exterior paint over the visible problems. Did she get rid of her problem? Of course not! In fact, in that scenario, there is a very real danger of the window frame rotting so much that, under the weight of the glass within, the frame could actually buckle and cause the whole assembly to come crashing down at the peril of anyone who happens to be nearby. Her method of avoidance was decidedly not a solution to the problem of rot. Neither is addiction, or some other equally destructive habit a solution to our unmet emotional or spiritual needs.
The Bible, in 2nd Corinthians 11:14, tells us that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He and his minions will always be ready with a bad idea to try to deal with life’s difficulties. But, it will seem like a good idea to the listener. That is why we must be on our guard. Matthew 10:16 says to be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. This is a surefire defense against the wiles of the devil. Pay attention and do not sin.
As always, I encourage everyone to read the scriptures and know what they say. Get into a solid Bible study with friends who can be trusted to steer you in the right direction — always pointing to Christ as your source — and unafraid of being honest with you about your own shortcomings where necessary. Give God the glory for your successes and trust Him to cover your failures. In your anger or confusion, resist the temptation to bang up the people around you. That will only make things worse. And finally, no matter what happens, never, EVER put cooking oil under your skin!
Blessings!
