Magical Thinking

Magical Thinking

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:10-12

We admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies and that our lives had become unmanageable.

This is one of the rules that governs a dysfunctional family: Always blame someone or something whenever things get out of control. We might say, “If only I weren’t poor, then I could handle life.” We might dream of how all our problems would be resolved if only we were rich. But by blaming our lack of wealth, we fail to take responsibility for coping with life.

Solomon was one of the richest men who ever lived. He had this to say on the subject: “Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep” (Ecclesiastes 5:10-12).

Solomon, along with many affluent people of our day, is living proof that riches don’t solve our problems or guarantee happiness. Wealthy people are just as powerless over their lives and addictions as poor people. Accepting this reality can help us to face the fact that it is not anything external that keeps us from recovery. We don’t need to wait until we have more money to begin coping with our lives and our compulsive behaviors. The sooner we stop all the blaming and begin to acknowledge the true powerlessness of the human condition, the sooner we’ll recover.

No matter how much or how little we have, it will never be “enough.”