C. S. Lewis once said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”
Are you too comfortable? Probably.
Everything in our modern world is designed for our comfort. Case in point: my new truck has both seat warmers and Shiatsu massagers! Can you believe that?
We can now put devices in our homes that answer our questions, keep track of our calendars, play games with us, play any song or book we want, turn on the T.V., and shop for us! Our comfort level is off the charts!
I think the same can be said about our comfort level with Christianity. Many of us, myself included, get too complacent in our Christianity. It’s an “I’m good with Christ, so I don’t really need to work on anything” sort of mentality. There are no tensions or unanswered questions that we’re wrestling with. We just sort of go with the flow.
This is a dangerous place to be, in every part of your life. When I catch myself feeling content and self-satisfied in business, I know something is wrong. I’m too comfortable and therefore not growing. The same can be said about my faith. When I’m lazy and unchallenged in my devotion to God, I know my journey has stagnated or stopped altogether.
So, in order to see if your Christian progression has idled, I’m going to ask you a few questions:
1. Are your friends and coworkers always surprised to find out you’re Christian?
2. Do you rarely ponder the sermon you received on Sunday throughout the week?
3. Do you feel affirmed in your daily transactions? Are you rarely challenged in your words and actions?
4. Are you concerned with your neighbors’, family members’, and coworkers’ spiritual condition?
5. Do you believe in present-day miracles and that God can do radical things in your life?
The problem with comfort in Christ is it often means we’re designing our Christianity to meet our own ends. However, when we’re uncomfortable and challenged we begin to take stock of our current situation and then take action to change things for the better.
The fact is, bold faith is inherently uncomfortable. It’s wrought with doubt, persecution, self-sacrifice, and ongoing effort. A bold faith doesn’t celebrate you as you are, but relentlessly molds and refines you into the likeness of Christ.
So, if you want to be bold in your faith, it’s necessary to get a little, and more often than not, a lot uncomfortable. Perhaps it’s time to turn off the seat warmers and really feel the boldness of Christ in your life!
