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Addictions to alcohol, drugs, sex, etc are common, but being addicted to comfort and security is not something talked about much.
Hello, my name is David Trig and I am addicted to comfort and security, but I'm trying to beat it.
How can you be addicted to comfort and security? Am I rich, spoiled, did I win the lottery or inherit a bunch of money? Do I live in Beverly Hills or am I used to Cadillacs and Bentleys? Hardly. I come from very humble if not poor beginnings.
The thing about the addiction to comfort and security are two things:
1. It has nothing to do with how much money you actually have
2. It's widely accepted in our society as "taking care of your family" or "moving up in the world"
There are people not addicted to comfort and safety that will read this post and think "how can you be addicted to money if you don't have any?"
First, I'm not addicted to money, I'm addicted to safety and comfort. That's the illusion that if you have enough around you, whether it's a job, money, space, Cheerios boxes, orange juice, you will be okay, if you don't, you wont' be.
Second, it's an illusion that you work very hard to maintain. I know better than to think I can control my life, the things I have, or how long I will live. But for the addict, you think you can control these things by working hard, stressing, being anxious or worst yet, not taking any risks.
Third, you don't take any risks. You can call it being faithless, chicken, fearful, but at the heart of it is a fear of financial, personal or emotional bankruptcy.
Addicts of Safety and Comfort often live frustrated lives. They are people who trade in their dreams and aspirations for the sake of safety and control. It's the opposite of being fearless, it's giving into your worse fears for the sake of being safe.
What has helped me deal with this addiction and begin to beat it?
1. Focus on Love not Fear. "Perfect love casts out all fear", instead of thinking catastrophically about all the bad things that can happen, the what if's, try to focus on what you Love, your passions, even if they will make you no money or bring you security
2. Tell yourself a mantra, a saying or truth that helps during those times of Fear and Anxiety. Mine is "I am not my fears, I am bigger than that." For others it could be "Cease striving and know that I am God"
3. Seek encouraging people and avoid negative ones
4. Don't read economic updates, they're often depressing
5. Read the Scriptures, I read the Psalms daily
6. Start a Gratitude Journal
Beating comfort and security is not easy, similar to a person beating any addiction it takes guidance, coaching and patience. You also need to want to change. For a long time I had no desire to change and instead I lived a life of fear and visionary compromise.
I don't want to be addicted to comfort and security, instead I want to live for my passions - music and helping people find God. I've actually taken the first few steps towards that in leaving the security of the contemporary church towards a bivocational, simpler style of church we call Neighbors Abbey.
