Avoiding, again.

"God always works to free us from the tactics we use to avoid dealing with the hard thing, because he knows that our tactics are ineffective.  Stepping out in obedience, even when we can't understand why or where it will lead, in the only way we will find the peace we are yearning for and help for our hurts."

Lydia Brownbeck -  Contentment:   A Godly Woman's Adornment.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”  declares the LORD. 

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Isaiah 55: 8-9

As I read the quote at the top, my mind immediately jumped to the passage in Isaiah.  It is an often quoted passage to which I have returned many times.  It is something that comforts me when I am confused and/or upset about things that are not under my control.  When the why questions come, I am reminded that I don't have to understand, that God was not surprised and He knows the ultimate answers even if I don't.

However, I had not thought of it in relation to my avoidance issues, especially with the theme of Contentment.    I haven't wanted to deal with contentment, because I was afraid of where it would lead.  But those same tactics that I am using to avoid exploring what God has to tell me about contentment serve to strangle me, drive me away from God.  Why else would He want to free me of them.  

So I look back over my choices and my actions.  What, in my day to day life, am I using to prevent me from exploring this further.  Keeping busy and being lazy are two big ideas high on my list.  I can stay busy from morning to night, and never really get anything done.  Putting out fires but not stopping the source of those fires.  But at the same time I am lazy about doing the things that will make a difference in my life and make the busy-ness go away.  Actually being productive is a goal I have for myself.  But yet,  it is hard for me.  So I quit and go back to just the status quo of putting out fires.  And then I wrestle with restlessness and doubt.

So I will ask myself, is this action avoiding or is it productive?  Am I content that this choice is furthering my goals?  Or am I avoiding the hard stuff?