Where do you turn for comfort when you’re feeling down? Erin Straza is the author of .
She says it’s time to rethink our philosophy on comfort, but it doesn’t mean we have to give up comfort for good.
“When I tell people I write about comfort addiction, I would get lots of funny confessions from people like, ‘I buy $4 lattes,’ or ‘I really like to go on vacation,’ or ‘I really love my kids’ and people feel bad as if there are good things in life that they shouldn’t be enjoying. That’s not the point of this idea of comfort detox.”
We don’t need to detox our life of comfort, but for many of us, our notion of comfort needs a detox.
“It needs to be upended; we need to change what we think of as comfort. Those good gifts we enjoy should be enjoyed to the full, knowing that they are coming from God and knowing that we are to steward them to maximize comfort for others. The reason we can do that is because God promises to be the ultimate comfort we need.”
Erin says that when we turn to the things of earth for comfort, we are really searching for comfort only God can give.
“It’s not that God doesn’t allow us to enjoy things of this life because that’s definitely not the case. He designed us to be needy because we are meant to be dependent upon Him. That’s why our hearts are always longing for something because we are not autonomous, we cannot function without God.”
What happens if we look elsewhere for comfort?
“We get into this addictive cycle where we need more and more of these worldly things to take the edge off of our anxiety or our need for control or whatever it might be. However, God is saying, No, come to me, I am the comforter; I am the one your heart longs for. I’m the one who designed your heart to need me. That’s what we are really to be seeking is God himself.”
What are you looking to for the comfort only God can fill?
Erin Straza is a contemplative writer, heartfelt speaker, and redeemed dreamer. She is managing editor of Christ and Pop Culture Magazine and host of the Persuasion podcast. As a freelance communications consultant, Erin helps organizations tell their stories in authentic and compelling ways. She lives in Illinois with her husband, Mike.
Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Featured Songs: Overcomer – Mandisa; Rise – Danny Gokey; Glorious – Passion
Comfort detox
