By Chris Bates
Outside:
In early fall several years ago, I spent a cool, clear, high mountain day trout fishing alone along Colorado’s Taylor River at about 8,000 feet elevation. I slowly worked my way wading upriver, pausing at each turn and eddy area to run my flies repeatedly past better spots for bigger fish. As the day grew warmer, the fish became less active, so I sat down for lunch on a smooth ledge on one side of the river.
The quiet rhythm of the river and its rippling water gave me rare time to reflect on a recent conversation with a friend who was burdened by regret over some poor decisions. I was reminded of something we all know but often forget: that if we are human, we are fallible. We strive to live rightly, but our nature tempts us toward what soothes and pacifies in the moment.
As Don Henley and Glenn Frey once sang, “I guess every form of refuge has its price.” When we seek comfort, it’s easy to reach for quick fixes like dishonesty, substance use, hurtful statements to a loved one, or other subtle choices. Maybe it’s padding an invoice, numbing stress with another drink, or concealing a money issue from a spouse. These compromises offer temporary refuge, but at a cost.
The costs often appear in the form of guilt, regret, or the erosion of trust. God placed those internal signals within us to guide us back toward Him. Our choices can fracture relationships with others, ourselves, and most significantly, with God.
In:
The path to healing and restoration comes in two parts, according to the Serenity Prayer: what we can change, and what only God can. Some behaviors fall within our control. We have God-given resources: a loving spouse, family, church, support groups, wise friends, even professional help. Sometimes all that’s required is surrendering our pride and asking for help. Other burdens, such as addiction, resentment, or deep-rooted sin, require divine intervention. Human willpower rarely wins those battles.
Romans 3:23-24 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Tim Keller once said, “Grace is stunning!” It truly is. Grace defies logic. It restores what’s broken, redeems what’s lost, and empowers us to change in ways we never could on our own. When we seek God’s help and follow the path He lays out, no habit or transgression is beyond repair.
Message:
Proverbs 3 reminds us how to live when we’re tempted to pacify our difficulties with empty comforts. Verses 3 and 4 say, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Those verses can hold a pathway to lasting change.
When we feel lost in guilt or habit, it’s easy to believe we’re beyond redemption. God’s grace says otherwise. He calls us into freedom, community, and faithfulness. Every “refuge” that we create apart from Him eventually collapses. When we take refuge in Him, the price has already been paid. Through Christ, we find both forgiveness and strength to walk in new ways.
The next time there is an “easy” option to pacify the ache or justify a shortcut, let’s pause and ask ourselves what the real price of that refuge is. Let’s remember we are given grace. Let’s remember the One who paid it all on our behalf, and let His love and faithfulness guide us.
Chris Bates is CEO of AgoraEversole, a full-service marketing agency in Jackson, and can be reached at Chris@AgoraEversole.com. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Madison and have adult children and three grandboys.