What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word, “comfort?”
Is it your favorite treat?
Your bed?
Your Netflix?
Your social media?
Your alcohol?
Your favorite restaurant?
Your coffee?
Your boyfriend/girlfriend?
Your list of rules?
What makes you feel “comfortable?”
If the answer to that question isn’t Jesus, The Holy Spirit and God…you may be in danger of comfort killing you. Comfort is so dangerous when it takes the place of actively pursuing a relationship with Jesus. It’s something that we all have or can fall victim to. It’s something that I have fallen into so many times.
Even on the race.
My team and me are staying at very nice place this month in Cambodia. We have a refrigerator, microwave, a stove, a toaster, air conditioning at night, a grocery store that has our home comfort foods and 24/7 access to WiFi. Sounds like a dream, right?
Sure. A very deceptive dream.
“Why deceptive, Meraia? Those aren’t evil things!”
Yeah, they’re not evil. They can be good. But you know, the fruit from that one tree Adam and Eve ate from…what was it called…? Oh, The Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.
We know those things are good. But in excess, when all we think about are those things…they become overwhelmingly DANGEROUS. Comfort is the silent killer of the life of a Christian.
Comfort makes a moving person stagnant, a creative person dull and a person burning bright for Jesus dim.
Comfort cost the lives of God’s people all through out the Bible. Comfort is a drug that kills. When the Israelites were saved from Egypt, they got uncomfortable on their journey to Egypt and wanted to go back to slavery because it was more comfortable. When the Israelites were waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain, they started having orgies and built a golden calf to worship because it was more comfortable. The thousands that were following Jesus dwindled out as soon as He told them how much it truly cost being His disciple.
Their comfort.
I have gotten distracted by the free WiFi, watching TV shows during some of my breaks, eating comfort food. It hasn’t gotten dangerously bad, but God wouldn’t relent talking to my heart about it this past week.
The thing about “comfort” is that it NEVER truly satisfies. You become like a zombie. You just keep on doing the same old thing because it’s familiar, easy, and it doesn’t cost you anything. But that is a life that will never give you peace. Only living a life for Christ will!!!
Jesus was never a crowd seeking speaker. He was after hearts hungry for change, a way to get away from their sin, to live a life bigger than their selves. They were ready to get uncomfortable to change and willing to trust in Jesus as their SOLE comfort!!!
I never want to falsely secure someone in their dangerously comfortable state, and I don’t want to falsely secure myself in that state.
Please watch yourself when you say, “God understands. He wants me to be comfortable.“
Because you’ll have to ask….”what “God” am I talking about?“
He wants us to enjoy things, to have seasons of rest and things of that nature….but it’s when those things become the main thing…and He’s pushed to the curb. When He’s only “appreciated” or “needed” when something major goes wrong.
I ask you all to check your hearts and pray that I continue checking my own heart.
Comfort is the silent killer that lulls Christians into a lukewarm state.
Be careful what lullaby you’re listening to…because that could be the devil whispering lies of comfort in your ear to cause you to go in to a stupor.
Before I started writing this blog, I got an desire to check out Andy Mineo’s new album on iTunes. One of his singles out seriously matches perfectly with what God has been talking to me about and goes along with what I was going to write in this week’s blog. Please, take a listen. It brought me to tears.
With love,
Meraia
