What is your source of comfort?

 

People cling to someone or something in times of sorrow and joy. I am sure this sentence, can trigger you to remember your source of comfort. This source is embedded in the mind right from childhood. For a child a doll, teddy bear, or car and any play items for that matter can be comforting and relaxing. The source of comfort changes as the child grows to an adult. It may be a thing or person (living or even dead), or it may be some belief system which could be an imagination yet becomes promising and comforting for the individual. I remember some of my friends in school days having peacock feathers in their notebook and it was a source of comfort for them, some having pictures of deity and small idol trinkets. During exams they try to look at it and kiss it at least once for good luck. Christians kissed the cross they wore as a pendant, to face the exams.

Human heart sometimes can be misleading, diverting our attention from the real to the counterfeit. I happened to talk to people living close to the railway tracks in the crowded city of Mumbai in India. They tell me that they cannot sleep in a place of silence. The sound of the passing train becomes the source of comfort. For some the light can be comforting and soothing while sleeping, though for many, it can be annoying. So, our mind tricks us to believe that what we hold on to or cling to irrespective of whether it can make sense or not happens to be the comforter. Well, you may critic saying what is wrong as long as the person stays comfortable hoping on something for comfort and companionship.

Companionship can be a thing, virtual, or even an imagery. But the problem in all of these is that it can fade so quickly leaving a person to wander and wanting for something better than what he /she had. It can be even ridiculous in some cases, yet people can make it as their personal god. "When a man stops believing in God," said GK Chesterton, "he doesn't then believe in nothing, he believes anything."

The problem of human heart and mind is that it is tuned to believe and have faith on something which may not be real. Anything dramatic or different than a human being tends to take the place of god. Who cares if it is a fantasy or mythology. Let us not forget, that true peace and security can only emerge from a clean conscience because of knowing the true God and encountering a life changing experience. The problem of sin makes the human heart more complicated and misleading to believe in everything. Instead of addressing the sin problem we substitute with materials, images, and rituals hoping to give us peace and comfort.

Faith in Jesus is transforming, conforming, and enlightening to human heart and soul. He is not the god of money, material, wealth and prosperity as we generally wish from god. As I always say most of the things we can always manage without god. What we cannot manage is true forgiveness and a clean conscience. For that we need to ask forgiveness for our sins and decide to live a holy life. And then even in loneliness the heart maintains the rhythm of peace, tranquility, and trust. I give here a comforting and promising claim from Jesus, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”.

 

You can follow us on Twitter