Embraced by God's Love: Moving Beyond False Comforts to Find True Peace

Remember that feeling as a child when your parents opened their arms to you? And how it felt to run to them for the comfort and love you were longing for in that moment?

Perhaps you scraped your knee, panicked because you couldn't find your mum in a busy store, or just felt sad and needed a hug. Sadly, the older we get, the more tempting it becomes to rely on worldly comforts.

When I was 11, I viewed pornography for the first time and experienced what false comfort can offer. For many years, I relied on that false comfort to bring me peace, rest, and take the weight I was carrying.

Unfortunately, the false comforts of this world end up piling more weight on us, including shame and hopelessness. I traded one comfort for another, whether it was shopping, eating until I felt sick, or harming my body.

Then, one day, I met Jesus.

All the pain in my life didn't go away, and my need for comfort was still there, but the difference was that for the first time in a long time, Someone opened their arms to me: my Heavenly Father.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (ESV).

At age 11 I doubt I would have been able to express that I was heavy-laden, but I definitely carried deep fear and anxiety and needed a safe place to exchange it for rest and comfort. Many years later I heard the invitation "Come to me" and for the first time in my life, I learned from Jesus Christ why He is called our burden bearer. I sought Him to heal and bring hope to deep places of pain. I sought to choose to go to His arms rather than into the "arms" of a false comfort. It's not easy and there are times in my life when I want to turn to something other than Jesus, but then I remember how it felt to carry those burdens, to hold onto so much pain, and I go back to the arms that are wide open ready to receive me.

What kind of pain are you carrying? Are you in need of comfort today?

His arms are open, and He is waiting for you.

Meet the Author
Allicia Bankuti

Allicia Bankuti lives in Westport, Ontario and has been serving full-time with an inner healing ministry for 12 years.  After walking a journey of healing and restoration in her own life, Allicia realized she was dissatisfied with what the world had to offer and gave up her dream of being in advertising to pursue God full time in ministry. Allicia’s heart is to see people of all ages passionately run after God and to see His love and healing reach a broken world. When she isn’t teaching or ministering, Allicia can be found watching cheesy Hallmark films (seriously, the cheesier the better), photographing weddings or on a basketball court with her wonderful boyfriend and his two amazing boys.