“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you …’ So Abram went, as the LORD had told him.” Genesis 12:1-2a, 4a (NIV)
I don’t know about you, but I am a comfort seeker.
When it is cold, I wrap myself up in a cozy blanket, don the thick wool socks, make myself a cup of hot coffee and settle in for the long haul. When it is hot, the blanket becomes a t-shirt dress and bare feet, and the coffee contains little cubes of ice. Then and only then, the outside becomes my studio. I revel in the comforts of the perfect temperature.
There are other areas of my life that seek comfort:
situations with others that aren’t challenging to my introvert nature
jobs that fit right in with what my creative mind wants to do
and writing about topics that inspire me to the moon and back.
It is right about the time that I am sitting back and taking in my carefully orchestrated surroundings, that God throws a wrench at me. AT ME!!
I’ll bet you didn’t know that He does that – throws things.
And I cringe at the wrench that has hit me upside the head. I huff and sigh at my misfortune, and ponder its meaning. Why did this happen? Why am I constantly having to deal with these issues? I’ve worked so hard at making life comfortable – doing everything right, why can’t I spend a bit of time just enjoying it?
But here’s the thing…
God is no respecter of comfort.
Comfort makes us lazy
Comfort breeds discontent
Comfort increases selfishness
Can you see how that is truth? God sees it. He knows that if He leaves us too long in our comfort, that we will forget.
We will forget where we came from and our tendency toward wrong behavior.
We’ll forget who made us and who we have to thank for all that we have and everything that we are.
As soon as we begin to settle in, the wrench comes sailing out of nowhere – disturbing our perceived serenity. I think it might be prudent to always be in a state of awareness about that wrench, be on watch for its reappearance. Anticipate the inevitable emergence, and don’t get comfortable to begin with.
It is said that Life is a journey – not a destination
We aren’t meant to sit stagnant. The road we will travel is long and contains many hardships. It is meant to inspire growth spiritually, and encourage us to lean into God’s presence, leaning on His understanding and not our own.
What would have happened if Abram would have said -Mmmm, no. I think I will stay here where I have family and crops, livestock and all the comforts anyone could ever want! Go somewhere that is unfamiliar, somewhere I am not known? I think not- He would not have become Abraham – the Father of a nation….and then where would WE be? If Abraham had chosen comfort over obedience, life may look very different for us today, as I’m sure it would have looked for him too. Would Jesus still have come to rescue us? Probably… God would have found someone else more obedient had he said no. But he didn’t…Jesus did come….and as a result, we are a part of His eternal family.
God will ask you to go. He will ask you to step out in faith and be obedient to His wishes. It might not make any sense from your perspective – it rarely does. It may not feel comfortable – well I can pretty much guarantee that it won’t. But it is not for us to determine what reasonable obedience is.
God – the God-of-angel-armies, knows what it will take to get you to – not a good life, not a better life, not a great life, but to the best life you could ever have! No matter how crazy His calling seems to you at that moment, God has a plan….and it is AWESOME!
So beware….
Just as soon as you are feeling comfortable – God is gonna shake you up. He’s gonna turn your world upside down and make you question everything. He’s gonna throw that wrench at you and get you moving in the direction He wants you to go.
You may not like it.
You may not understand it – but follow anyway.
It will be the most incredible journey you will ever undertake! I guarantee it!