Beyond Comfort

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Matthew 5:2-12
Psalm 56:8-11 

“Why do you want to go on this trip?” she asked over the phone, while I paced back and forth, my bare feet hitting the edge of the grass before returning to the cool cement.

“Well, I feel like my life is pretty comfortable. And I’m not so sure that’s a good thing.” I responded with words I’ve heard dozens of times from other believers.

Maybe you’ve found yourself in the same boat I found myself at times. You’re comfortable. You have got it made. You have a great home, you love your job, you attend church every single Sunday and spend time with your community group on the days in between. Sure, sometimes momming is hard, or you have a rough week at work. Money can be tight but it always works out. But really, life is great. It is smooth sailing.
You’ve worked hard and now you’ve arrived.
Your life has almost plateaued.
It is almost…
Stagnant.

And, friend, stagnant is dangerous.

Think about this:
You have a vivacious niece who is five years old. She’s not in kindergarten yet, her mama makes all of her meals and she fills her days with playdates and pretend. She comes to you one day and says, “Auntie. I love being five. I’m going to be five forever. I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want to do anything else except be five!”

“Well, sweet girl,” you say, “being five is fun! You get tucked into bed every night, you only have a few chores, you don’t have to go to work like mommy and daddy do. But there are so many fun things that come when you turn six! And every time you grow up a little more, even more special and exciting things get to happen! You will make so many new friends and visit so many new places. You might get married one day, you might become a teacher, you will do so many amazing and fun things that you can’t do if you stay five forever!”

I feel like this is what the Lord says to us!
“Oh child, I know it is amazing being right where you are. You have a beautiful home and a stable career. I love that you come to worship Me every week. But there are so many amazing things that will happen as you grow closer to Me.”

God wants us to find our comfort in HIM instead of our belongings! He wants for us to learn that our comfort doesn’t come from how much money we have, our career, our health, our relationships with other people.

Our comfort needs to come from Christ alone.

Here’s the deal: sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives that are uncomfortable because He wants us to learn that HE is comfort. Sometimes we just need a little wake up call when our lives are so free and easy that we aren’t growing closer to Him anymore because we aren’t relying on Him! We are depending on things and praising God when our things don’t fail us.
We need to depend on HIM and praise God because He never fails us!

Our little wake up calls can come in the form of a health scare or a job loss. Or it can come in the form of a fellow sister in Christ who has walked in your shoes, struggled like you are, and can still testify of God’s pursuant love!

He wants you to find comfort in Him so you can grow as trials come your way!
He wants you to GROW and experience His fullness and all of the beautiful things that He has in store for you!

Things you will never experience if you keep placing your comfort
in everything and anything but our Father.

Oh friend, we can be too comfortable.
We can become stagnant.
And stagnant is dangerous because it means there’s no growth.

​Do something today that makes you completely uncomfortable.
Something that leaves you relying on God instead of your smartphone, your credit card, or your own ability. You may just discover a new level of comfort in the arms of your Savior!

This Bible Study first appeared on Gracefully Truthful and is property to Gracefully Truthful. For further studies like this one, check out Gracefully Truthful!