Safety and Self Protection

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”—C.S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

“He wraps himself in his Christianity as a safety net,” he said at dinner one night. Of our mutual acquaintance he said, “It is too bad that he shies away from controversy. That is how we grow.” We agreed that we all do it. It is easy to avoid hard truths especially if it’s a truth about God that destabilizes your world view. This usually happens when that truth makes our position look less tenable. It may be a difficult truth such as the holiness of God or a difficult concept like predestination. We may be called to act in accordance with God’s heart. One example might be having to forgive a person that wronged us. It may not feel right in our gut but is a clear cut Biblical principal.

My friends observation is a challenge. How do I use my view of God or my Christian status for self-protection? Are there things I don’t do because they are not ‘my calling?’ Do I fail to respond to God because it would mean stepping out of my comfort zone into a place where I am forced to trust Him? As I’ve said before I like my ducks in a row. Feeling a loss of control and needing to trust God shakes me.

The walk with God isn’t safe. “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” To grow and know Him is my desire. I am introspective and I ask Him to search me. This growing and learning process isn’t comfortable. Stagnating is easier but riskier. Pools of dead water reek of rot. Living water cleanses and refreshes. Time to set aside that safety net and be vulnerable and transparent. All right God go ahead and rock my world.