Wile E. Coyote Syndrome

Wile E. Coyote Syndrome

If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him (Proverbs 26:27).

Kind of sounds like the Wile E. Coyote Syndrome. No matter what that coyote did, it came back on him. We find ourselves in many of those same pits, with stones rolled over on top of us, wondering how it happened and how it happened to us.

The Bible is pretty clear about it. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows (Galatians 6:7).

I have found myself in more than a few of those pits with more than a few of those rocks, and I blamed everyone around me for putting me there. If I could have blamed ACME, I would have. What I eventually learned is this: when the pit keeps getting deeper, I need to quit digging.

Here is the difference between us and that coyote. His schemes only hurt him. Ours hurt the people around us too. And I have yet to see the ACME Corporation show up to fix what went wrong. Neither will the people we keep calling. That is not where the help is.

Jesus said, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

You cannot take His yoke upon you without first taking yours off.

We wonder why we never feel how light His burden is, and the answer is that we never fully let go of ours. We hold on to our version, our plan, our way of working it out, and then we are surprised when the rock rolls back.

A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord (Proverbs 19:3).

We keep reading the ACME instructions. God's instructions are right there.