Life comes at us fast. Pressure at work, being the referee for your kids or even just keeping up with daily life sometimes can be overwhelming. As we look at surrendering this summer, I felt called to take a closer look at the escapes we run to when life gets hard.
Now, I’m all for having a creative outlet to channel everyday stress. Go to dinner with a friend, practice a hobby, get outside – enjoy the gifts God has given us to enjoy. But what I’ve felt called to challenge is when these outlets get out of balance. When we turn to things like shopping, taking a break, eating, binge-watching shows and of course doom scrolling to numb the reality of our situation.
When life gets stressful, it’s so easy to turn to the things or even people that give us comfort or distract us from our pain. When I’ve had a particularly rough emotional day, I don’t want to think, I don’t want to process, I just want to escape. I usually turn to comfort shows that I’ve seen a million times or reading or doing something creative. Some of my friends turn to shopping or food to escape. And some people use alcohol and drugs to find relief from pain.
No matter the escape, God wants us to turn to him to find relief and comfort first. I noticed that things I’ve always enjoyed – getting lost in a book, watching TV – became my first line of defense when I was in a prolonged season of stress. Instead of going to God and asking for his help to find peace, I looked to myself and what I could do to take a break. I didn’t put God second intentionally or with the thought that I was trying to escape reality, but my first reaction wasn’t to go to God, it was to try to distance myself from the stressful things going on around me for a few minutes. Much like when we talked about surrendering our emotions, when we are driven by our feelings, we look for escapes.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites all of us who are weary and burdened to come to him and he will give us rest. As God has been challenging me on rebalancing my comforts and distractions, he brought this verse to me and prompted me to study it more. Here’s what I learned:
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God gives us soul-rest - not temporary relief. Whatever distractions we turn to will only ever provide temporary comfort. God offers his presence and promises that last forever. He is in control, he knows the plans he has for us and they are good plans. We can rest in that and go back to that, no matter what our daily reality is.
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God understands what we go through as humans and he cares. He’s not sitting on his throne on high judging us and holding our mistakes against us. Jesus came to earth so he could literally walk in our shoes and have first-hand knowledge of the pain and stress we face. And because of that, he wants to be our resting place and source of comfort.
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There are no distractions or comforts that can give me what I need. At the end of the day, there are no Full House reruns that are going to solve my problems or bring me lasting peace. There’s no deal that anyone can shop that will transform their circumstances for the better. There’s no drink or substance that will give the lasting peace in the midst of a storm that Jesus can give.
God created us after his own image. He sent Jesus who lived and walked in our shoes. And God knows the plans he has for each one of us according to the Bible. Why not turn to him when we don’t understand? Because even if we don’t get answers, we’re reminded that he is in control and we are not, and because of that, we don’t need to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.
So friend, if you find yourself turning to things and people to find peace before turning to God, I’d like to encourage you to take it all to Jesus and let him be your comfort.
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