Are You Looking for Comfort in All the Wrong Places?

Empty boxes.   It was in a room filled with empty boxes that made Kristin realize that her life was empty.  And nothing that she could buy, achieve, or win could fill up the emptiness in her life.  She needed purpose.  She needed hope.  (Read more of Kristin’s story in “Are You Empty?”.)

In a way that only the Savior could, through the joy of salvation, Kristin found life and hope.  God forgave her sins, made her whole, and filled her with purpose.

But then what?  What happens after salvation?  Is salvation simply a ticket into Heaven or is there more to the Christian life?

Let’s return to Kristin’s story.

While I knew that I was saved from hell, I knew there had to be more to my Christian life.  Because
of Jesus’ sacrifice, I knew I would stand in front of God at the end of my life blameless and pure.  But the Holy Spirit was pointing out to me that on this Earth I was doing several things that weren’t blameless and pure. 

I continued to struggle with the some lifelong strongholds — like eating too much and spending too much money, to name the two.  I also realized that I wasn’t doing what my new heart desired like getting up early to spend time with my Maker and getting the family out the door for church.

I’d tried tackling each one of these issues on their own.  Diet, budget, devotion plan.  I’ve tried all the self-help ideas.  But ultimately I came up short in each effort.  


I had good reasons for each struggle, I justified to myself time and time again.  Too tired.  (My kids are terrible sleepers.) My PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) makes me feel depressed.

I questioned, shouldn’t this be easier now that I am a Christian?  Maybe I just need a few morsels of chocolate.  Or some new shoes may help.

God used a friend to help me realize what I was up against.  During a toddler playdate, we found a common sugar addiction… comparing how many bags of M&Ms we could eat in one sitting.  To add to our conversation I shared a story of calling my husband — who was out of town — in absolute panic, crying “I’m alone in the house with a brownie mix, help me!!!”

As we shared, I realized there was a huge difference in our addictions.  It was as though we were on opposite sides with a valley running between us.  The difference is that I was still struggling with my sugar addiction while my friend had conquered hers.  She hadn’t eaten sugar for six months. 

Are. You. Serious? SIX MONTHS!!!

I leaned forward and begged her to tell me how she did it.  She explained:

Bam.  There is was.  Idolizing comfort.

Her transparency explained everything.

Why I had to down another Coke when I couldn’t take one more minute of the kids whining. 
Why I rolled over and hit the snooze button more mornings than I care to admit causing me to sleep away my Quiet Time.
Why I maxed out the credit card time and time again when I knew I shouldn’t. 

I did these things because I didn’t want to feel depressed, tired, bored, lonely, or scared.  I just wanted things to be easy.

Sweet SISTERS, I know you can relate to Kristin’s story.  While it may not be shopping or food, there is something in your life that is trying to take the place of God.  You are addicted to what I call a “mommy drug.”  It is something that you can’t get enough of and the object you go to for comfort you craze when things get rocky.

No, in my life it wasn’t meth or alcohol like you might think off.  For me the drug was blogging and developing the ABC Jesus Loves Me website.  It was my way of escaping the reality of life. (Read more here.)

Seriously not what I thought the Christian life would be.  Where was God in all of this?  Why wasn’t He fixing all my problems?  I tried really hard but nothing was happening.

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  But I was still struggling. 

This story isn’t finished! While there is great joy and hope in Salvation, there is peace, purpose, and change afterwards.  We will cover this and further Kristin’s story in our next blog post. Will you please join us?

Kristin Hooper is a globetrotting mom of two with a heart for helping other moms find joy in living overseas with kids.  To read more about her adventures, check out her blog GlobetrottingMom.

What is your choice “mommy drug?”  Leave a comment or join us for discussion in our private group on Facebook.