Finding a Safe Place
If you were a fly on the wall in my home you will see me often sitting in "my place." John will be sitting in "his place." These are the places we have created through habit, over time; where you will find us.
I have moved over 40 times in my life and this often creates times of feeling quite unsettled. One of the first things I do in a new place, or even when I go away from home for a time, is a corner somewhere where I can feel "at home." It is often a comfy chair, somewhere I can place a hot drink and where I can see something pretty or attractive. I will have my bible and other books near.
This is the place where I meet with God.
For some people this, or dare I say, He is a very safe place, for others they are not sure, or they are even very fearful (anxious) of even talking with Him.
Is God a safe place to run to? Even in the middle of the mess of my life-controlling issues?
I have found Him to be a safe place at these times, but I also know that maybe for you it isn't quite that simple. It wasn't always for me. I have done my own fair share of running away and escaping. Just like Adam and Eve in the garden in Genesis 3:8. They had lost the concept of God being a safe place for them. They had to hide.
What if the question you have is; "Am I good enough?" Is the response to this question causing you to run and hide.
Just maybe the response to that question is linked to the level of safety you find in God.
I know that in my own strength and own ways I will never be good enough, however in Christ something beautiful happened. I can rest in the knowledge of my utter dependency on a Saviour, even in my most spectacular failures. His mercy and grace always meet me at this place of weakness. Oh of course I try to take it all back and live as if Sally can work it all out. Guess what. I then try to hide and soon become very insecure and fearful, God, my Father, Christ my Saviour does not "feel" safe. As soon as I come to the point of realisation of what is happening I run to my "chair" my place of safety, tell God about it all and I can begin to breathe again in God's presence as He meets me there.
Ponder: "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden." Genesis 3:8
Acknowledging weakness/sin is not easy. Where in your life do you accept that you are weak/sinful?
Where in your life are you running/hiding from God?
Action: Write down your responses to the above questions as they resurface in your daily life. As they resurface talk to God, asking for His perspective. You may need to repent and turn to God and away from destructive behaviour or thought patterns, knowing that you need His strength to help you do this.
Prayer: "Lord, please help me learn to rely on you for the whole of my life, the times I feel strong as well as the times I feel weak because it is not about these "feelings:" It is about learning to accept that I need you always. I will never be good enough in my own strength. I need a Saviour. You are my safe place. Help me to know that you are always there and although I may be hiding you always see me. Amen
Challenge: The next time you realize you are weak; you have failed, you recognize you could not or cannot do something, thank God for that particular weakness, "thank you Lord that I could not do ...because now I have to let go of my own strength, my own way of doing things and lean on you for your strength and insight." This might take some courage at first and possibly some skepticism, it sounds so simple...