Jaded: “Having the condition of cynicism and bitterness with pain at the root.”Can you relate to feeling jaded? You used to be excited about life’s possibilities—ready to cut a new trail, but somewhere along the way life took away your excitement and left you dull.
All of us want to be happy… I know I do. In fact, many of my major life decisions are made because I think the solution I choose will bring me greater happiness than my current situation.
In college I drove a Dodge Dart. It was one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. However, I just had to have a sportier car... so I got rid of my faithful Dodge Dart and purchased an MGB... which was the most unreliable car I've ever owned.
For you it may not be a car… maybe it’s your relationships, job, etc.
- What are you counting on right now to make you happy?
- What’s a decision you made recently thinking it would make you happy?
When our dreams don’t come true we can become disillusioned. Depending on how we deal with that disillusionment, we can become cynical. Cynicism, over time, makes us jaded… we refuse to invest ourselves in life and we’re only left with despair.
Think about the example God gives us through His commitment to a relationship with humanity. God has opened Himself up to every possibility of disappointment. (Take a moment to read Genesis 3:1-13.)
When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they brought pain and sin into the world. Sooner or later, sin brings pain to us and to those around us. How do you think God felt when Adam and Eve deliberately turned against Him in the Garden of Eden? God removed Adam and Eve from the garden and placed them into the wild to live out the effects of their choices.
Yet at the same time God was handing out discipline, He showed His love for Adam and Eve by covering their nakedness. (Genesis 3:21) Even when He is disciplining us, God is always thinking about our future. He doesn’t give up on us… He still moves forward.
It’s easy to become disillusioned when we face the fact that life is far from perfect. Things don’t always turn out the way we want them to. We have hopes—we face failures. We become wounded… and then some of us become cynical, then jaded.
It’s incredible to know we have a God who is always working to bring healing and hope to our world. And through Jesus we are offered release from the jaded cycle… and the opportunity to live with a sense of hope.
