Avoidance - friend or foe?

How much of my life is avoidance?

I go a certain way to avoid traffic. When I drove a standard car, I would go a certain way to avoid a hill, even if it meant adding 10 minutes onto my drive. It seems that I'm not the only one that does this either. It's like we are always trying to find ways to avoid the unpleasantries of life.
We avoid particular relationships because we don't want the possibility of being hurt. We will do little things like avoid having certain pets because we have allergies. Some of us avoid talking to certain people to avoid confrontations or aggravation. Are we saying we're not up for the challenge?

Don't get me wrong, I believe there is definitely something to be said for keeping yourself from a destructive relationship or situation, like an unpleasant traffic jam on the highway, or staying away from someone who adds nothing but negativity to your life. But somewhere along the line we seem to have blurred the line and are no longer allowing ourselves to be led by the Spirit. Instead we spend the majority of our time figuring a way out or a way around something or someone that we PERCEIVE to be difficult. We avoid.

James 4:7 says "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Note here that God didn't say "Avoid the devil, and he will flee from you." He says to resist the devil.
To submit ourselves to God would be to pay attention to His direction, His guidance, His words, and to follow them. We need to be led more by His Spirit than our mentality ("that's too hard", "that's too difficult", etc).
Avoid = stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something...
Resist = defy: elude, especially in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation"
= stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something
= protest: express opposition through action or words
= withstand the force of something

We are supposed to DEFY the devil, protest against his lies, withstand what he throws at us... In other words, we are supposed to ACT. And that seems to be the determining factor here. To avoid really implies INaction, whereas to fight and stand and protest implies opposing action. So although we can avoid situations that we feel led by the Spirit to, when we are led to STAND our ground, we must know how, be willing, and FIGHT the devil's attacks. We can't just step out of the way of Satan's attacks, or he will keep coming and coming and coming until we actually stand up, fight, declare our authority, and know who we are in God. Interesting note here... Satan's attacks most often come for our minds... strongholds are the results of us believing his lies and letting it affect our lives/actions/inactions... so it is important for us not to just fight on the front lines of battle, but also to realize that sometimes, most times, those front lines are in our minds... quite a battle we have on our hands there. I believe our hardest battles are mental ones.

We are to be soldiers of God, fighting against the devil wherever need be. We cannot avoid him so why do we work so hard to always avoid the things that are of him? What happens when we no longer pay attention to the Spirit's warnings as our guide to avoid or stand firm? What happens when we decide to just avoid it all? When do we realize that God does want us to deal with some things? And ask yourself why avoidance is so easy. Is conflict truly that hard? Is it something we honestly "just can't handle" or do we just believe that because it's what we say so very often?
Doesn't Scripture teach us that God will only give us what He says we can handle, and that He will be with us on the journey? We avoid the things in life, almost on instinct (instinct of the flesh, lies masquerading as true instinct) that have the potential to make us stronger, better, more fierce soldiers of God.

So when did we lose the ability to be truly Spirit led? Why is it so much more appealing to run away or slink away from an obstacle? Perhaps because it is easier, or maybe because of fear. But at the core, our running from any and every unpleasant situation shows our lack of faith. When we start to follow our own fleshly 'instincts' and we run from trials wherever we can, what does that say in our belief that God is our Rock, our source of peace and help and power? So why run? Why not stand and fight?

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12.
We can fight in silence, prayer, unchanging beliefs, unwavering faith. We can also fight in words and wisdom and truth and love. But how can we have faith in the Almighty One but run from the battles He calls us to fight? Have we lost belief in His ability to deliver us?

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4
A shepherd's rod was a piece of wood often carried as a means of defense, to fight off any intruding animals and protect his flock, for whom he would die. The staff was the crooked stick used to corral the sheep and to pull back in the ones who strayed. The shepherd led the sheep, and never astray. The sheep knew their shepherd by both the staff and the sound of his voice.

John 10:27 says: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me." The staff signifies this man as the leader for the sheep. The rod reminds all that this shepherd would die for the flock that follows him. These items, one of defense and love, and the other of guidance and help, are our hope in times of darkness. When we fight a battle, we fight with our Shepherd, who has already given His life for us. Why are we then so hesitant to fight for Him? Why are we so quick to run in the other direction, and avoid whatever comes our way?

The valley of the shadow of death is a dark place. Often in life we have highs and lows, and many lows feel dark and deserted, much like the 'valley of the shadow of death'. Note it does not say "Valley of death". God never sends us into a valley of death, because Jesus already battled hell to return with the keys to the kingdom:
"When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." (Revelation 1:17-18)

Our low points are often clouded in shadow of death. Dark places where death surrounds, death of the spirit is easy in a low time in life... where we can easily lose hope, faith, love, and everything that connects us to our beliefs and our God. During these valleys in life, these dark places, do we turn around? Do we back away, running with tail between our legs? Or do we recall that our Shepherd will lead us THROUGH? Jesus already battled death, and defeated it long ago. He waits for us on the other side, and yet He still leads us with His staff to show His sheep the way. We know Him by His voice - the voice of the Holy Spirit. We are comforted by His staff, His tool of direction, also the Holy Spirit. If Jesus went to the depths and conquered death to get the keys to the kingdom, our keys to the kingdom, then we can walk through the low points, through the valleys of shadow. We can walk through the areas when death is on all sides of us, but because He has already defeated death, it cannot hurt us, or kill our spirits, as long as we follow our Shepherd.

When we emerge on the other side of the valley, having followed only the sound of our shepherd's voice and His staff (Holy Spirit)... it is as if we have defeated death again. And again. And again. Every bad situation offers two options, defeat or success. The Shepherd brings success and dominance. We can give in to this spiritual death, and run to avoid the battles that signify our strength and progression, or we can emerge behind our Shepherd, completely protected by his rod, guided by His staff. And we will know fully who we are, whose we are, having been strengthened, having endured, having been led. One of our keys to the kingdom is this identity in knowing whom we belong to. Another is being led by our Shepherd's staff, the Holy Spirit, at all times.

Lastly, God says that the battle is His in 2 Chronicles 20:15: "He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." God has already fought all of our battles, and it's not like our God to lose. He has fought and won, so is it truly that hard for us to 'walk through the valley', to walk through the battle, following the voice of our Shepherd? We must exercise faith and trust in Him and follow His voice. This is when we win the battle.

After all... a shadow only makes something LOOK intimidating...

So perhaps avoidance isn't all it's cracked up to be.