Sleeping is one of those things that people can take far too seriously. I have always been one of those people. For me, it was partially because until this past year I had undiagnosed sleep apnea so every minute was precious. But more than that, I have always loved the comfort that sleeping affords, particularly when it comes to pillows. Up until I was married, I used to sleep with between three and four pillows at all times. It was always a nuisance when I traveled, but when it worked out, it was a glorious, stress relieving, and over indulgent habit. After I got married, I began to trim back the number of pillows I slept with because I was no longer the only one who needed to have space in the bed.

However, with my wife became pregnant with her first child, we were given a body pillow for her to use to stay comfortable throughout those nine months. Even after our daughter was born, the body pillow lingered as we both enjoyed the extra comfort it brought. It wasn’t until recently that we discovered the comfort of forwarded by the extra pillow came at a price. My wife and I soon realized that the addition of the fluffy friend caused a figurative and literal barrier between us. having had enough, my wife removed the pillow and although it may seem silly to say, it was like a new beginning to our relationship.

Talking about pillows may not seem like the most intellectual of pursuits, but I think I can use it to make a very poignant point. You see, in our lives we all have pillows that surround us and generally speaking those pillows are good things. They support us they help us to relax, to get the rest we need, and they even afford a little bit of extra comfort. But as we all know, too much of a good thing can be dangerous. In the instance with my wife and I, too many pillows meant a disconnect between us. In life, the things that we hold dear, when we overemphasize them or spend an inordinate amount of time with them, they can become stumbling blocks for us and our relationship with others and our relationship with God.

One such pillow for me is theology. Theology, that is the study of who God is and his purpose for his creation, has always brought me A level of comfort and excitement. I enjoy hearing magnificent theories, picking apart what people are trying to say versus what Scripture wants us to hear, and in the end, coming to a better understanding of God himself. Theology Is a good thing, however I and others have taken it to unhealthy levels at times. When the academic pursuit of knowledge becomes greater than the physical and spiritual outpourings of that pursuit, then theology becomes like too many pillows. We drown in the thing that comforts us instead of realizing that we are using That thing to barricade us from the rest of the world.

God wants us to be challenged, never resting on our lavish laurels. He will give us what peace and rest we need when we need it, and in return we should make sure we don’t block off His good gifts by encompassing ourselves with the things that we think will make us feel better. Pillows can hurt us if we surround ourselves with them too much.

Pax,

-Paul Hart Cochran