Deus Ex Machina
Deus ex machina means “god out of the machine” and is a plot device used in movies where an impossible problem is suddenly solved by a (typically ridiculously contrived) intervention of a new character or event or ability. When it happens, you roll your eyes because you know that doesn’t happen in real life.
Here’s the only problem: We DO think it happens in real life. So many spouses are in miserable marriages and are waiting for something magical is going to happen to make everything better. Pastors lead churches that aren’t growing and keep going for that one magic bullet that will propel them to explosive growth. Overweight people search for that one special diet.
But there is no deus ex machina. Change happens and problems are solved through a vital connection with God, cultivated over the long haul, and then disciplined and repeated steps in the right direction … over the long haul.