Out of Egypt
If you asked the Israelites when they were captive in Egypt if they felt safe, they would have probably called you crazy, but the weird thing about safety is that it’s entirely subjective. Once the Israelites were freed from slavery, God set them on a path through the desert with their eyes set on the promised land. Their lack of patience meant that they began to complain to God about their path, and asked to be sent back to Egypt. Now what would cause such a shift in perspective. I’m certainly no Bible scholar, but are we that much different? As I was thinking about this, I wondered how my perspective has changed in 2009.
What makes us feel safe? Is it complacency? Ignorance? The truth is that our safety comes not from the past, as the past has little impact on the future. Preparation, education, planning; these things can all help the future be a bit more predictable, but just ask the many people affected by wars, flash floods, freak snow storms and a surprisingly bad economy if their plans were enough to secure their future. So are we ever safe?
For too many years I felt that my actions only effected me and my immediate friends and family. If I did well at work, I could keep my job. If I was a good husband, I could keep my wife. My vision was limited to what was immediately around me.
The safety and security that I feel comes, not from a historical perspective, but from the faith that the future holds something great. Like the Israelites, I sometimes miss the blissful ignorance that can only come when you truly don’t think that you matter, but I’m also finding that the freedom that comes from dreaming is addictive. As I have become older, and a bit wiser, I am keenly aware that my sphere of influence continues to expand. I guess my only choice is to either run back to slavery or trust that God will lead me someplace exciting.
So I would encourage you to resist the temptation to run back to safety. Embrace the feeling of the unknown. Trust that God has set you on a path that will scare you, force you to change, and ultimately make you happy. Free indeed!
