Life wasn’t easy for me in Jamaica, but I was in my comfort zone because it was what I knew and understood. However, God wasn’t happy with me being comfortable in my quandary as He knew how dangerous that was for not only me, but also His Kingdom. So, He put everything in place to make me get out of what I knew, to go to a place where I did not know and did not understand, so that I could learn to depend on Him and trust Him more. For a couple years, I had recognized my lack of trust in God in certain areas of my life and I prayed for God to help me to trust Him more. And now, God has answered my prayers by putting me out of my comfort zone into a position where I can only depend on Him and trust Him alone. If I cannot trust God and surrender to His will, then I will be of little use to His Kingdom.
Paul wrote that God does exceedingly abundantly more than we could think or imagine when he was arrested. I think when we are uncomfortable we can see the magnificence of God’s work in our lives even more as He strengthens our hearts and transforms our minds while we face our challenges. Our weakness is displayed during adversity, which enables God’s power to be manifested greater and He may even do the impossible through us. I did a search for the “Danger of Comfort” and heard some principles by motivational speakers - “You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable to be successful,” “You will not reach your full potential in your comfort zone,” “The comfort zone is dangerous because you can’t get more,” and “Comfort will kill your soul.” It is interesting that people who are not Christians understand this, yet so many Christians focus a lot on seeking their own comfort and safety. However, this is usually not of God.
Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
It is dangerous to think that if we are in God’s will, we will be comfortable and safe. Recently, I was watching a sermon in which a pastor was speaking about the churches and homes of Christians being burned in Pakistan. He said that he had been invited to visit Pakistan earlier in the year, but his schedule did not allow for this to happen. In addition, he shared that there were persons who asked him if he would be safe there, but his response was that should never be the question. I applauded his reaction as I too believe that Christians are too concerned about safety when so many people in the world are dying and going to hell. If we die, we are supposed to go to Heaven and be in paradise with the Father and the Son. Why then are we so concerned about dying instead of being concerned about telling people about Jesus to give them a chance to truly live?
God brought me out of my comfort zone to go to inner-city communities where violence is rampant, and I had to witness the abuse of women and children. There were days when the tension would be so high because of the shootings that I thought I could die that day. But I still went because I knew that was what God would have me do and like the Apostle Paul, I understood that “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (See Philippians 1:21). I have found that following Jesus is not always comfortable, convenient, or even safe. So, we should not seek these, but rather seek Jesus who is our Comfort in adversity. When we are doing God’s will, we find comfort under His wings. He is our safe place in the midst of danger.
Permit me to add another point about the danger of comfort in our churches. And that is the man-made doctrines that we have become comfortable with which may not be Biblically based or may have come out of one or two Bible verses which may be situational. We must remember that the Pauline letters were targeted to churches in a certain area, and we must dig deeper to understand why Paul wrote in a certain way to the specific churches. There are churches today who create doctrine that limit women and how male and female relate to each other because of this. If we become comfortable with these doctrines and accept them then I know it can be very dangerous. I thank God for the Christian brothers who have reached out to me, encouraged me, and prayed for me over the years. I remember I was wavering earlier this year about a mission’s trip to Brazil and it was a Christian brother who basically showed me my thinking was nonsensical and that I needed to go on the trip. Thankfully, I went because God spoke to me profoundly on this mission’s trip. One day, a church brother reached out to me, not realizing what was going on with me and God used him to confirm that I was to stay in Argentina for longer. I shudder to think what would happen if these Christian brothers and others would have accepted and been comfortable with doctrines that would limit relating to me as a woman in this manner. I know it would be dangerous for me spiritually and emotionally if they did not obey God as He positioned them to encourage me. However, I believe we should be wise with how males and females relate to each other outside of the context of blood family. Another doctrine I have found hurtful is not celebrating birthdays to the point of not telling a loved one happy birthday. I had two people tell me about this recently and I could sense the feeling of hurt they had. When we are comfortable with church doctrines and traditions that are not of God, they can be hurtful and dangerous spiritually, emotionally and in some cases even physically.
And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? Matthew 15:3
I cannot find any Bible verses that tell us we will be comfortable, but I can find many that give us comfort during our hard times. Life’s challenges mature us and help us have a deeper relationship with Christ as we seek Him during these times. Comfort sometimes is an illusion of the world, so we should not get distracted by constantly seeking it. The devil wants us to stay comfortable in our churches and homes, never going out to face the harsh circumstances encountered while spreading God’s Word and love. He opposes us when we move out of the comfort of our churches to build God’s Kingdom because he does not want us to succeed in this. And, he also entices us with comfortable lives to forsake the possible challenges that come from going out to fulfil Jesus’ Great Commission. But we should never be satisfied with comfort when we need to introduce the world to Jesus.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 2 Corinthians 4:7-11
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