Flight Zone & Escape Behavior

So let's talk about a Flight Zone.  What is a Flight Zone?  Well, it doesn't have anything to do with aircraft.  I had been studying for a presentation I am giving in my class for bible school on the topic "what is a pastor?"  I decided to begin studying out the behaviors of sheep.  Why would I do that? you may ask.  Because a pastor is often referred to as a shepherd and we christians and church members are often referred to as sheep.  I know, very flattering.  Anyways, I figured I would study the behaviors of actual sheep and maybe that would give me some clarity on the life of a shepherd which would give me some more clarity on the roles of a pastor.

While I was studying behaviors of sheep I learned that sheep, like most animals, have what is known as a "Flight Zone."  A Flight Zone is an area surrounding the animal that if encroached upon by a potential predator or threat will cause alarm and escape behavior.  Escape behavior is essentially what the animal will do immediately following the encroachment of a possible enemy.  An animals escape behavior will vary from animal to animal.  Some animals may run for their lives, others may take a defensive position, and others will run for any form of protection they may find.

While reading about sheep and their behaviors and flight zones I can't help but wonder what my flight zone is and what my escape behavior is like once my flight zone has been breached.  

I know the Bible says "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and rulers of darkness." and I also know that the Bible says "the enemy is roaming about seeking whom he may devour."  Based on those scriptures I understand that I have only one enemy in this life, only one substance that could possibly violate my flight zone, only one threat that could make me switch to my escape behavior and that is the devil.

This leads me to asking myself, what is my flight zone and what is my escape behavior?  Have I given the enemy so much ground in my life that my flight zone has become very small?  How much of an attack will I tolerate from the devil and his forces before I go into escape behavior?  Will I allow negative thoughts?  Will I allow sickness?  Will I allow lack?  Will I allow poverty?  Will I allow my family to live their lives not knowing Jesus?  How much will I take?  How much will I allow the enemy to encroach on me and my territory before I finally move into escape behavior?

And what exactly is my escape behavior?  Do I turn and just begin running away from the threat of my enemy?  Do I run and run hoping that I will be strong enough to out last and out run the one seeking to kill and destroy my life?  Do I turn and try to fight back?  Do I try to fight my enemy leaning on my own understanding and my own ability?  Or maybe I do what sheep do, maybe I turn towards my Shepherd, maybe I go and stand next to Him and I lean on His strength and His power.

See, as Christians we have to know that the devil and his forces have already been defeated.  We have to know that they hold no power over our lives besides what we allow them to have.  If we allow the enemy to encroach on our territory, if we allow the enemy to get close to us and take what is ours before we transition into escape mode, then we are saying we don't fully trust in what Jesus already did for our lives.  The word of God says that He came to give us life and life more abundantly!  That abundant life is within our flight zone and we shouldn't allow the enemy to come in and take what's rightfully ours through Christ.

Animals have four varying degrees of flight zones and the zones get closer and closer depending upon the threat the animal perceives in the object encroaching on their territory.  The closest zone is the social zone, where the animal feels no threat and therefore allows the closest distance without going into escape mode.  As I read this I wonder if I have allowed the enemy to come into my social zone.  Have I allowed him to get so close to me that I am unaware I should be in escape mode and standing next to my Shepherd leaning on His power and His promises to protect and defend me.

I think it's time I reevaluate my flight zone and I begin to take back my territory that was promised to me and made available to me through my Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  When times get tough, when seasons get hard, when threats come, I should go into escape behavior and run to my Savior before I get too comfortable with having the enemy in my territory. 

Challenges

I have always been a dreamer.  I have always wanted to experience different places and embark on new adventures.  Movies and books about people doing unordinary things have always captivated me ever since I was little.

As a result of my dreaming I have always had something I've wanted to do, something unordinary.

For example, I've always wanted to walk across the United States.  I've wanted to go sky diving.  I've wanted to join the army, about 8 different times in my life.  I've had countless idea's on new businesses and how to make myself rich.  I attempted to start a non-profit organization with a friend.  There has always been something new and different I have wanted to do with or in my life.  One of the main things which killed my ideas was the doubt of the challenge.  

In the past I thought if the idea or thought was from God and for my life than the task would be relatively simple.  There would not be a great challenge or difficulty in accomplishing what I'd felt I was supposed to or wanted to complete.  When difficulty or the realization of the challenge appeared I simply gave up.  I thought the difficulty was God trying to tell me to stop.  I suppose there could be some truth in that thought process depending on the situation and the circumstances.  But then I realized that anything and everything of any worth in my life would be met with challenge.  In fact I would argue that if it is too easy maybe it is not right. 

Jesus was destined for the cross.  Jesus came to life in order to die.  He showed us how to live and walk out our lives in complete surrender to the will of God, but His main purpose for coming to earth was to die for our salvation, among other things.  Jesus knew this from an early age.  The bible first tells us that Jesus knew of His death when He was talking with the disciples and explaining to them that He would be given up to the enemy.  I'm sure He knew the scriptures and knew the prophetic words about Him, but the first time He speaks about what will happen is in talking with the disciples.  We all know the story of Jesus praying in the garden asking The Father to remove the cup from Him.  In the same story we can read that the challenge for Jesus was so great that He was literally sweating blood.  I have faced some challenges in my 27 years but I have never been so concerned that I sweat blood.

Life is filled with challenges.  Anything we do, that is of worth, is going to have a challenge or two that we will need to handle.  The road we walk to the fulfillment of our destiny is going to have plenty of challenges on it.  You have to face the challenge of shyness and rejection in order to ask out the woman of your dreams.  You have to face the challenges of studying and taking tests in order to graduate so you can win your dream job.  You have to face the challenge of reading all those parenting books and then applying them in your life if you want to be a great mom or dad.  You have to face the challenge of your past if you want to be free for your future.  You have to face the challenge of yourself if you want to move into all that God has for you.  Your story would not be interesting or exciting if it were not filled with challenges.  Challenges are what move us forward in life, they are what help us change into the person we want to become.  

Do not give up when you are presented with a challenge, no matter how hard it may seem.  

Take your challenge before God, pray, read the word, get wisdom on the situation.  Know that the greater the challenge the greater the reward and the greater the life you get to live.  Move yourself forward and into a new chapter of your story by facing your challenges today.