Skip to main content

comfort and fear // Tuesday E-Devotion

From our thoughts lately, mainly from my personal reading, and from the challenges our new church has faced, we have talked much about fear. Sometimes fear is wrapped in stuff that looks OK. It may be something that is the status quo or that keeps us in a rut like we talked about yesterday. That fear could even be the comfort that we find by being just who we are and nothing more.

Fear is not what God has given us. In fact the only healthy fear is the one that keeps us close to God. I have found in my life that fear often keeps me trapped in a place where God is at times not allowed to work. Think about it.

Proverbs 29:25 (nlt) --- Fearing people is a dangerous trap,but trusting the Lord means safety.

2 Timothy 1:7 (nlt) --- For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

God loves us so much, and His desire is for our best and for our success. Often that means challenges and adventure, but it also means leaving human fear and comfort behind.

1 John 4:18 (nlt) --- Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

I found the following quote while reading Tony Morgan's blog. He is quoting a book titled E-Myth Revisited, and this thought will shake us.

"The curtain is your Comfort Zone. And your Comfort Zone has been the false mask you put on...because it was safe when your spirit was not. Your Comfort Zone has been the curtain you have placed in front of your face through which you view the world. Your Comfort Zone has been the tight little cozy planet on which you have lived, knowing all the places to hide because it's so small. Your Comfort Zone has seized you before and it can seize you again, when you're least prepared for it, because it knows what it means to you. Because it knows how much you want to be comfortable. Because it knows what price you are willing to pay for the comfort of being in control. The ultimate price, your life... Comfort overtakes us all when we're least prepared for it. Comfort makes cowards of us all."

May God give us the place and understanding that we don't need a comfort zone because of our desire for Him overcomes fear and lets us face challenge after challenge with faith like the world so desperately needs to see!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns.  One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns.  When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.  Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns.  Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.  Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"  Beverly said, "Why yes I do."  Edith said, "Well, what do you

why is it Good Friday?

  Holy Week is the time we focus on God and His gift of salvation.  We come to Friday.  The day we remember the cross, Jesus’ death and all God has done for you and me   Why do they call this day “Good Friday” because it doesn’t seems good?   Jesus was treated as a criminal.  He was beaten so much that He could not recognize Him.  His pain would have been too much for you or me to endure.  That is especially from Scripture I’ve read or as in the movie the  Passion of the Christ .   Yet it is a good day.  It is Good Friday because God had our good in His heart.  What Jesus did that day changed our forever direction. Here are some thoughts that come to me:   He is Redemption and Redeemer   He too our Pain and Punishment   He is our Righteousness and Reality   He is the Savior and Life   All of those happened from the cross.  It was meant for the worst lawbreakers.  It was not meant for a Savior who never broke a law.  It was lifted high so that onlookers could see the price Jesus.   Look

Day 8 in Cuba

We have just come off and incredible weekend, and it is day 8 of the mission trip in Cuba.  Thank you to all who have been praying for this trip, the mission team and the impact it will have on those we serve.   Please don’t stop praying. Last week Alex and I served with a mission team in the mountains of southern Cuba.  There were several challenges, but God gave us safety, provision and opportunity to serve some of the sweetest people I have ever met.  No running water… sporadic electricity generated by a small, logo dammed up river, no transportation other than animals, limited food sources and more.  These people love the Lord and sharing their faith with others. Over the weekend we made our way back to Havana.  On Friday our vehicle broke down leaving us on the side of the road for several hours.  We then boarded a bus and rode 14 hours.  We arrived safely and even got some rest. Sunday was so, so good.  We visited two partner churches.  In the morning we were with one church that