Today's question comes from Danielle who struggles with depression and anxiety. She writes,

I am prone to turn to sinful habits as sources of comfort, for example, binge eating, binge

watching television, masturbation, etc. Most often I fall into these sins after first attempting

to seek comfort from God through

His word and prayer, but I frequently come away feeling less than comforted or relieved

after practicing these spiritual disciplines.

Is it the case with God that his comfort waits to come until we have overcome our

inclinations to certain sins, or is his comfort always there,

even if we don't feel it? I know he is true and perfect, so the issue must lie with me.

I want to effectively find my solace in him and be rid of false comforts and idols, but I don't know

what to do. The first thing comes to mind as I hear this question and the struggle that it depicts

is this may seem massively contradictory, but the comfort of God is often uncomfortable.

We tend to want God's grace to be a soft pillow

and a cool drink of water.

But often God's grace is not like that at all.

Yes, God meets me with his inexhaustible grace.

His grace never gets tired, it never wears out, he'll never turn from it.

But God's grace isn't passive or permissive.

Now what this means is grace isn't passive or permissive.

Now what this means is that the good life of comfort, satisfaction, contentment, and joy,

this is very important to understand, is found on the other side of sacrifice and surrender.

I want to say that again, the good life of comfort, satisfaction, contentment, and joy is found on the other side of sacrifice and surrender.

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