When we Become Comfortable, Inequity Finds us.

Stephanie ₍₂₎ came to her first session worried, unable to sleep, and filled with anxiety. She had been a Christian for many years. Her parents had brought her to church as a young girl. As we spoke, Stephanie recalled that at one point she had felt the peace of God. She continued that, in the past, she had been able to handle life with less worry, fear, and stress, but over time, that had all changed.

What else had changed?

Stephanie had gotten a new job, one that she desperately prayed for but that had come with more responsibility and required more of her time. Over time, Stephanie began to sleep in later, neglect her time with God in either the morning or night, and was no longer engaging in spirit-led prayer or intentional Bible reading. Stephanie was praying, but it was often only during times of great need. She also had started to neglect community. She stopped going to her women’s group, she had only sporadically gone to Sunday Service, and she no longer served in the church. Instead of leaning into God in this new season with more responsibility, she allowed distance to set in and neglected her time and relationship with Him.

Stephanie's story is a common one. Many long-time Christians that I meet who struggle with finding rest and peace have slowly, over time, allowed other things to sit on the throne of their schedule where God should be.

Time became an idol. Worry became its price.

As I was reading through Ezekiel this morning, I noticed that the story in Chapter 28, and its consequences, sounded familiar. The prophet was speaking to the Prince of Tyre. God was reminding him, in verse 13, that he once was the seal of perfection, “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty”. (NKJV, 2016) He had amassed riches through wisdom and understanding, risen to power, and was established by God, but eventually allowed his heart to turn from God. Over time, he became self-reliant instead of God reliant. In verse 15, Ezekiel goes on to repeat that God had seen how he, over time, traded righteousness for iniquity _(1). As Prince Tyre rose in stature and amassed wealth and power, he forgot about the God that put him there. He let something else take his place. The result was the eventual fall and a loss of everything he had been given.

See the definition of Iniquity at the end of this post. Sin (Iniquity) is not always some grand gesture of disobedience, it is often the quiet replacement of the things of God, that keep us “full of wisdom” and our lives in “perfect beauty” for other things. Over time, a great chasm occurs, and our hearts are not fashioned after His. Our vision is not aligned with His vision. Pretty soon, we see inequity set in, and life is no longer as we hoped.

I ask you, friend…are you on the path of Stephanie and the Prince of Tyre? Have you traveled down a path and forgotten to bring God with you? How can you realign your time, heart, and schedule to invite Him back in?

May the peace of God be always in your hearts,

          Susanne

If you are having trouble finding your way back to peace and would like my help, you can book a session with me at www.muckandmire.org

1. Inequity “See Sin” • Sin: Thoughts, words, and actions by which humans rebel against God, miss His purpose for their lives, and surrender power to evil. Holman, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 20215, B&H Publishing Group.

2. This name is a substitute in order to protect privacy.

3. Thomas Nelson, NKJV, Journal the World, 2016, Harper Collins Christian Publishing Inc.