Sunlight tumbled through my bedroom window early this morning finding its resting place directly on my face. It's my day off and, on a day I would normally sleep in much later, I felt this great need to get up and on with the day. There were things to be accomplished and potential to be realized of this day that were simply out of reach in the confines of my bed.Every morning is a small dilemma though; why leave the comfortable confines of my bed, a place where I'm warm, calm, safe, and relaxed, on the promised potential of a day I'm not yet acquainted with? I don't mean this to be a cynical viewpoint but more of an esoteric perspective on life as a whole.
It seems that comfort is our temptation in almost every decision we make in life. The "easy way" always presents itself, enticing us to either do or not do something that seems inherently more risky than simply rolling over in our proverbial bed and sleeping for another hour. Gone is the great potential in risk when we would settle for much more meager assurances.
My time with God this morning has been spent on the question of how much I have done or not done because of my infatuation with comfort. Have I gained as much as I thought I did when I decided to play it safe in life? And when I suffered the consequences of risk, was it worth it? So many times, whether its Joshua or Gideon or the disciples, God sends his people out into danger with only the assurance of His presence (Joshua 1, Judges 6, Matthew 10 & 28). These are the stories of people that decided it was better to risk everything to be used by God than to settle for temporal and apathetic comforts. I wonder if these folks were nagged by the same question that haunts me when I'm when faced with these situations - what am I missing out on if I don't follow God's calling however risky it might seem?
Today I decided to get out of bed and the day has not disappointed. In hindsight I realize that I haven't regretted risk when I've taken it. I haven't enjoyed suffering but I've seen purpose in it as well. By God's grace, I hope that I can push into that ideal leaving Comfort, thorns and all, left to be picked by some other unfortunate soul.
2 comments :
Really challenging post! Comfort is nice in the here and now, but down the road, I think we can look back and say "dang, I wish I was a little more uncomfortable then, because I haven't really gotten that far."
I like God's promise that he will be with us, even (or especially?) in the uncomfortable.
What are the uncomforts we can pursue in life?
I think for Americans in particular, one of the most practical applications of this is in our material possessions. It can include leaving room in our schedule or budget so we can be more generous to simply being content with less.
It can guide our decisions with where we live, the company we keep, and how we spend our time. So perhaps you move to a neighborhood where you feel like you can make a difference. Or maybe you budget money each month for the purpose of blessing a neighbor somehow. It might mean befriending someone that you don't initially feel comfortable around (but needs a friend nonetheless).
There are so many examples but I think the first step is being cognizant of how comfort has affected our decisions presently and in the past.
Post a Comment