Playing the God Card

They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt . . .” Joshua 9:9

In the disaster or my opioid addiction, I went to a Christian treatment program, where we were encouraged to surrender our lives to God’s will. There, I met a lot of guys who were legally compelled to complete the program to the satisfaction of their counselors and probation officers. Some of the guys were sincere in pursuing recovery, but there were also those guys who said whatever they needed to stay out of jail. They professed faith in God in front of their counselor, but then acted like monsters when no one in authority was watching. I could see that they were just playing the God card for their own purposes, and I found it annoying.

A few months later, when I had to go before the state medical board to explain myself, I told them of my faith and recovery, reporting that I had experienced genuine spiritual transformation. I’ve found God. As I said it, I could see what they saw – a guy who was playing the God card to evade consequences. I wanted to object, desperate to convince them that my faith was authentic. Here’s the problem – I’d been there before, saying the same thing. Six years prior, I’d stood in the same spot. I’ve found God. So, when I relapsed, going back to the same old behavior, ending up before the medical board again for the same offense, my claim of faith rang hollow. Yeah, yeah, you found God again. Good for you. You’re still going to face consequences.

Today’s passage tells of the people of Gibeon who claimed faith simply to serve their own purposes. As the Israelites progressed in their conquest of the promised land, the Gibeonites feared they’d be conquered next. So, they pretended to have traveled from a far-off land, while claiming to fear the Israelite’s God, all to seek a covenantal truce with the Israelites. They didn’t really serve God, but rather, they invoked his name to save themselves.

I’ve done this. I’ve believed in God, but I lived my way. Then, when my way led to painful consequences, I turned to God to get me out of trouble. Once the trouble passed and life went back to normal, I went back to living my way. I was a hypocrite, playing the God card only when it aligned with my purposes. Now, in recovery, the challenge is to truly follow God every day – not just when it suits me. If I truly have faith and recovery, it will be obvious to anyone watching.