Comfortable

I live in a nice subdivision with large lots. When I see my neighbors, I wave. I almost never have to talk to them. I’m comfortable with that.

I quit watching the news on television. I’m not comfortable with any of our politicians and few of our public figures. What news I get now I get from Facebook and Twitter. I pick my friends and whom I follow. My picks are based on my comfort level.  If they start to make me uncomfortable, I unfriend or unfollow. I’m comfortable with that.

I enjoy my church. I am comfortable there most of the time.

I don’t typically read whole books of scripture. I’m not comfortable with all the passages. I’m not really comfortable with all the books. John is great; James not so much. Psalms are good; Revelations is not very comfortable. I try to stay away from the uncomfortable, but I’m not always comfortable with that. I know the uncomfortable verses are there for a reason.  I just hope they are there for someone else.

Our air conditioning has given us trouble. We’ve had the servicemen out a lot. In fact, I’m waiting for one now. This is disturbing my comfort.

We live out in the country. We have lots of creatures, some of them bite and sting. It rarely happens. I had gotten pretty comfortable walking about with wasps and yellow jackets, bees, snakes and spiders. Yesterday while looking through drawers under my car port, in a matter of five seconds I was stung five times. I didn’t see the culprits. I’m not going to be comfortable under my car port for a while. I may never open those drawers again.

Jesus said it was tough for rich folks to get into the Kingdom. I think that’s because the rich have the means to make their lives comfortable in almost every way. The poor are seldom comfortable.

Christianity is flourishing in countries where it’s tough to be comfortable, especially if you are a Christian. It’s not doing so well in the lands of the rich.

“Comfort” means providing physical ease and relaxation or as large as is needed or wanted. Do we really need to be comfortable, relaxed, satisfied? Is our walk really as large as it needs to be?

It’s obvious that it’s not a great thing to be comfortable. Comfort doesn’t challenge us. We don’t change in states of comfort. When comfortable, we don’t depend on or appreciate our God like we should. When we’re comfortable we don’t really want to get up and do anything.

We need to be challenged. We need to change. There are things we need to do. Let’s not be too comfortable.