Compelled

In my earliest memories, I recall “the red house”. To me it was huge. It had a basement and a second floor, and for as many of us who lived there, we were comfortable. The lights weren’t always on, the water wasn’t always on. The furniture was scarred or frayed or had missing pieces. There wasn’t always a lot of food and my “bed” was a few blankets as a pallet behind the living room couch. It was comfortable, and for me, the house was full of love.

The red house has long since been torn down due to an expansion of the hospital where I was born. Actually, a few of my former residences have been demolished. Now that I’m older, it’s interesting just how comfortable I was in those former, run down, torn down places.

Fast forward to today: The life I’m living now is comparatively different from my earlier years. In recent memory, I don’t remember the last time there was no food, or the last time the electricity was cut off. My bed is comfortable and even in all of that, I’d like to believe that I still focus on what’s important – a house full of love.

So in the natural, I’ve good reason to be comfortable but what about life “In the Spirit”? How does comfort translate to my life in Christ? It’s very different from the natural, at least it should be.
Many people get saved and begin seeking after "Christian decorations” to add them to their lives, as if their seeking for a place of comfort. They get rid of promiscuity and settle down with a God-fearing spouse. Comfortable. The profanity in their speech is replaced with a more apparent “selectivity”. A few church friends and a bible study and suddenly, club night doesn’t have the appeal that it once did. Comfortable. And trust me, I'm not knocking the growth we experience at conversion. I'm just saying....then what? Like years later when the newness wears.


Here’s The Word:

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Prior to verse 14, Paul mentions all of his pre-Christ "decorations" and how impressive they are. He counts them all as refuse, good for nothing but flushing down the toilet.
He then communicates how much better it is to "win" Christ and know of Him to salvation. But he doesn't stop there, he goes on to distinguish his pursuit(and ours) from those who are only looking for comfort "whose God is their belly...who mind earthly things" v19.

If I’m being 100% transparent and honest. Comfort is probably my biggest concern. I think the reasons are because I remember where I came from, and I see it all too often where Christians get comfortable and flip on cruise-control as if they’ve “made it.” They(we, I) show too little interest in pressing in closer to Christ. They (we, I) are perceived as overly judgmental if we encourage and strive for “more” holiness. “More” fervency about the things of God. More passion about or pursuit of HIM.

I count my comforts as blessings but never in a way that blinds me from the realization that this world is still broken, fallen, hurting and in desperate need for people who not only recognize and serve, but who also haven’t become so comfortable that they no longer hunger and thirst after righteousness. Every morning, I look up from my comfortable bed and think of how wonderful it would be to just lie there all day. I then thank God for His Spirit, Who quickens me, Whose voice I hear challenging my comfort saying “And how long do you think it will be before this house is torn down?”

You know, He’s right. He’s right in more ways than one: Eventually, the furniture I have will be scarred and frayed. Pieces will go missing. Eventually it will need to be demolished. This is also true of my physical form, and when you consider that truth, the Holy Spirit’s question becomes more pressing. How much time do you think you have? Is there anything you should be about that’s more important than your comfort? Amen.


In Him,
Cros