When It’s Tempting to Numb
December 14, 2007
Dec 14 – Retail Therapy
When someone hurts us or something in life happens that’s painful, it is so tempting to numb it. Some people drink alcohol, some people eat chocolate, some people dance, or run away, or buy things – or if you’re me, you go to sleep. What stinks about all of those things is that none of them actually help the situation. They just postpone what we’re feeling. We take the easy way out because trying to forget or replace our feelings is certainly easier than actually experiencing and working through the difficult emotions.
Pain (obviously) hurts but in order to experience the full measure of joy, we have to experience some pain. I’ll stick with the question DevoZine asks - where do you look for happiness? If it’s in any of the things I mentioned above or if it’s in any earthly relationship, it’s not going to cut it. If you’re fighting through something hard right now, like so many people are at Christmas time, I’m sorry. Know, though, that you are not alone. I hope that you will find an outlet – talking, writing, drawing, painting – and really acknowledge what you’re feeling. And then I encourage you to look to God to be the source of your joy.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Matthew 6:19-21
The things we try to fill our lives with will fade away in time, but eternal things are just that – eternal. They last forever. Instead of numbing yourself with things that will fade or hiding behind quick fixes for your emotions, give your time and energy to the God who has always been and who will always be. Store up treasures for yourself in heaven by building up your relationship with Him instead of your relationship with your television.
“The joy of the Lord is my strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10
Thats my thing too, sleeping. I was just about to go to bed now actually when i came across this devotion. God always finds a way to tell us exactly what we need to hear. I’ve recently been searching harder than ever to find contentment in relationships and I always end up right back where I started. Empty. The verses in this devotion really encouraged me… along with 1 Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in everything”… I truly am thankful that it didn’t work out with that boy because it has caused me to remember I NEED God. And I can’t keep ignoring it.