Comfort vs Comfortable
It’s
Saturday evening, and I’ve been thinking about the idea of comfort vs
comfortable. Quite honestly, life as a missionary and/or church planter is anything, but comfortable. In Alaska it was the extreme cold, and in
India it was the unbearable heat. And for quite some time I’ve thought about how uncomfortable my life
has been. In the last 19 years, God has been deleting the idea that if I was a
good Christian my life would be comfortable, and reinstalling the truth; God is
the God of all comfort. He promised to be our comfort, but He didn’t promise to
make us comfortable.
I think most Americans are confused. We operate from the perspective that God
works everything out for the “comfort” of those who are called
according to His purpose. But that’s not how the God of the Bible works. Here
is a passage I believe will help us better understand why being comfortable
isn’t God’s goal for us:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have
received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4)
Two
things strike me about this: “in all our troubles,” and “so that
we can comfort those in trouble.” We can expect all sorts of troubles, but
we can also expect Him to comfort us SO That we can comfort others in their
troubles. (Ever notice how many “So That” there are in the scriptures?)
The more I come to know Christ, the more I realize how much of this whole
journey is not about me. It’s not about what I’m thinking, feeling, or going
through at any particular moment. It’s really about how much I love God and in
turn love others, much more than it is about me being comfortable.
I’m not particularly fond of troubles, and I don’t think God likes them either.
His heart breaks for us when our heart is broken. But, being the God of ALL
comfort gives Him an advantage. And being His children means we have access to
all the comfort we need. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
What does the difference between comfort and being comfortable look like in
your life? Do you spend too much time and energy creating comfort for yourself?
Is God asking you to take a step of faith that may leave you feeling
uncomfortable?
How does this scripture speak to you? ”
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have
received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our
lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it
is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort,
which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And
our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our
sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”
(2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
