Confronting Your Dragon

I actually think this would be easier...

This morning as I came into the office I was being troubled by some things that I had been putting off and putting away. Not wanting to confront them, I instead had been distracting myself with entertainment, reading, and even work. For some reason, however, I felt the need to address the issue immediately. So I did.

Doing this caused me to consider the importance of confronting the dragons in our lives. Nearly everyone is drawn, at some point, to put things on the back burner so they do not have to be dealt with in the present. They use entertainment or work or something else to keep busy so the dragon can remain hidden for a while longer.

But it doesn't last forever.

Now don't get me wrong, there are times where things simply cannot be dealt with right now, and setting it aside for a short time is necessary. But it seems that for many people a "short time," all to often and all to quickly becomes a longer time than it should be. Instead of running, we need to turn and face the reality of the situation and find a solution.

In the Sword of Truth series of books by Terry Goodkind, the main protagonist, Richard, is taught from a young age to "not focus on the problem, but the solution." How often do we get caught up with an issue, tricked or blinded into only seeing the problem? What might be different if we stopped staring at the problem, and looked for the solution, regardless of our own desires and wishes?

I have a suspicion we would find many more answers than we thought possible.

That being said, being willing to face things head on can be daunting. As I said in the picture caption above, I think it would often be easier to fight a real live, giant dragon than have to dig into the self and discover one's flaws. At least then you have something you can physically hack away at, ha.

So ask yourself what dragons you are facing today. Find time to take a break from the swirling world around you trying to drag you back in. Get away, take a breath, and look at what needs to be attended to.

For the Christian, there is nothing to fear. You have a Helper who can bring you through anything. You have a Father who loves you and who forgives and forgets. You have a Savior who has already destroyed the biggest dragon of all. Any trial, any temptation can be handled and dealt with because you have waiting for you the most brilliant prize of all; Eternal Life.

As long as we are willing to change, God will change us. If we will open ourselves to Him, He will use us. When we give over our lives to be shaped by Him, He will create us beautiful, pure, and flawless in His sight.

So confront your dragons today. He will not let you get eaten by them, not ultimately. Not in the end.

Because in the end, we are victorious because of His victory over all.