“In our day, anxiety has become one of the significant ailments of our world. Yet it is also a signal, an alarm that something is desperately wrong in our world…
Mark Sayers
Seeds contain the imprint of the trees that they will eventually become. However, for seeds to grow, they must sprout past what is called the coat. That is the protective outer casing of the seed. At first the coat protects, then it restricts. A seed that is unable to move past this barrier is unable to grow. It remains paralyzed, stuck in the ground. The coat, created to protect the seed initially, can prevent it from developing into what it was designed to be. As we will discover the structures that we build to soothe our anxiety, to protect us, can prevent the activation of the seeds that God has placed within us.
Strongholds are protective structures created by humans to insulate us from external threats and to reduce our anxiety. The Scriptures focus on the strongholds built by humans, noting how they can become an alternative to God.
Three Key Takeaways: 1) The structure of our contemporary world creates an anxious social atmosphere, which can paralyze leaders. 2) Christians can become mired in sticky anxiety, infected by the broader cultural mood of the day. 3) When viewed through kingdom lenses, comfortable, prosperous, and stable times do not always equate to good soil. Comfort can insulate us from renewal.”
Reflection:
In an anxious world, we are all tempted to seek refuge in everyday things that we believe will insulate us. However, some of those comforting agents might actually be getting in the way of the growth and renewal we need. Sometimes God leads us into a season when those outer protective layers are stripped away, and this drives us to seek Him as our refuge.
Jesus tells us in John 12:24 that, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” As seeds of God’s worldwide renewal, we join Jesus in dying with Him. It may feel very uncomfortable and confusing as the “coat” that restricts our growth is broken down, but if we are to move past the barriers hindering our deeper life with God, we must count the cost. It is hard to see how God is our refuge while we are dying on the cross, but we cast our hope toward the resurrection, knowing that glory with Jesus comes through suffering with Jesus.
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