Have you ever wondered why you tend to avoid certain things like the plague? Why is it that many men struggle with avoidance? What exactly is avoidance and why is it harmful? Of course, some forms of avoidance are good, like: “I avoid running across a busy street so I don’t get hit by a car!” In that case, it would be most appropriate to avoid getting killed! In this post, we will talk about negative avoidance.
Avoidance: the action of keeping away from or not doing something.
What actions do you tend to keep away from? Is it doing the dishes or taking out the trash? Brushing your teeth or balancing your checkbook? Maybe it’s dealing with conflict. You would rather not find yourself in the middle of a relational conflict with anyone, whether it be your coworker, spouse, friend, or neighbor. You were taught to avoid at all costs anything that has the potential to cause pain. Maybe you haven’t really been in touch with your own heart in this matter. I hope I can encourage you to be courageous and willing to combat the issue of avoidance.
There are some other words we could use instead of avoidance to describe the same. Apathy, lethargy, laziness, deferring, putting off, and passivity. How do we resist the temptation to do this in our life? How can we grow in becoming proactive, assertive, engaged, intentional, and vigilant in our pursuit of authentic manhood? I believe we as men have a default pattern. It’s human nature to want to avoid conflict for instance. It’s our sinful nature to struggle with indifference or apathy. If you struggle with avoiding the inevitable or making decisions because you are afraid of the cost of that decision, you are not alone. We must be honest with ourselves, this is the first step.
The second step is asking for help. How do I do this? I start with going to the Bible for help, then followed by prayer. Asking God to help me overcome the areas that I tend to avoid. What scriptures do I find helpful that I can really learn from and apply? What is God desiring for me to overcome? It is a process of learning to embrace the challenge, the obstacle to overcome, and not remain passive about it. There is help. There is a way to move forward. I believe in you.
