Fear Is A Comfort Zone

Fear is a comfort zone. How do I know this? Well, for one, faith is wildly uncomfortable. Think about it. Acting out of faith is unpredictable and requires an immense amount of grace. What is the opposite of faith? I like to think it is fear. I'm open to technicalities that would prove me inaccurate, but they probably wouldn't prove me very far off base.

For reasons I can't explain at this time, there are a lot of things about my current life situation that have helped me to understand the principle of faith and the comfort zone that is fear. The natural man is very akin to acting out of fear- to be in survival mode. But this life isn't about survival because none of us get out of it "alive" anyway. We all must pass through death and so endlessly dodging it for the sake of dodging it is just ridiculous. Really, survival is practically heresy, when you think about it. Now, I don't believe that God wants us to just lie down and let the train flatten us as soon as we hear the horn, but I also don't think He wants us to sabotage the tracks and derail the train for the sake of saving ourselves (which, if the train is close enough to hear- you'll probably die before you can completely sabotage the tracks- just get out of the WAY!)

This is often the message- get out of the WAY! I am still very much learning this. Perhaps writing about it will help it sink in more. It is a tricky balance learning how much to act and how much to allow God to work in His own time and in His own way. I know that I am not supposed to be idle, so it is about prioritizing. For me, that means checking in (with Him) quite often. I think that sometimes we become afraid (see, there's the dangerous comfort zone of fear again) of pestering God too much, but He can't be pestered unless we are just choosing to not listen or accept His answers for us. And in that case, I'm sure He is ok with us continually asking for Him to send comfort and peace in the answers we've received. It seems that a lot of the trick is remembering. Remembering how we feel when we pray, remembering to obey promptings immediately, remembering that He is control and when we are listening to His spirit closely He does send peace.

Now, I know that we are not to be commanded in all things, but I do not think there is anything wrong with being guided in all things. Heaven knows that I am so far out of practice from those times in my life that I was better at feeling guided each moment by His spirit, but I feel myself inching closer to that and to things beyond it. Sometimes I get impatient with the whole process and think I am supposed to pick it up really quick like riding a bike again, but then, as I kneel for guidance, His gentle reassurance lets me know that it is okay if I stumble and trip- so long as I continually reach my hand up for His. I can turn my heart to Him every time I falter. His approval and His peace are the only real comforts I need. I'm stepping out of the dangerous comfort zone of fear. For now, it can often be incredibly uncomfortable and even painful at times, but I know that faith is the path back to Him- and the two (fear and faith) do not exist in the same space.