I was in Memphis last month when a lady overheard me talking to a couple of my brothers in a restaurant. Upon finding out that I was a Christian who was living in California she asked me, “What are you doing out there?” in an accusatory tone. She seemed to think I was violating God’s laws by living among pagans.
What am I doing out here?
Where did Christians get this idea that we are supposed to be comfortable? When did we start believing that we are supposed to surround ourselves with a little Christian group and maintain our little Christian circles? Where do we read about Jesus ever doing that?
In my Bible I read about Jesus hanging out with prostitutes and drunks and tax collectors. The dregs of society. The least of these. In fact, the only people who seemed to have a problem with Jesus were the ultra religious crowd. Sinners, on the other hand, loved him. Jesus was often accused of drinking with prostitutes and eating with outcasts, but no one ever accused him of being too religious.
That’s why I’m sick to death of comfortable Christians.
And, if I read my Bible correctly, I’m not the only one. Jesus feels the same way. In the book of Revelation Jesus talks about a group of Christians who are so comfortable they are described as neither hot or cold, but only lukewarm. Jesus has such a violent reaction to these people that he says he wants to vomit them out of his mouth. They make him want to throw up. Comfortable Christians make Jesus want to throw up.
What are you doing out there, Abraham?
Abraham was comfortable living in Ur of the Chaldeans. He was surrounded by his family. He was living where his parents lived and where his parents before that had lived. He was comfortable.
Then God showed up and told him to move across the continent. He didn’t tell him where. He didn’t tell him what else He wanted him to do. He just told him to move. He told him to get uncomfortable.
God called Abraham to leave his comfortable life so He could create an entire people group. The same people group God would use to reveal himself to the world.
What are you doing out there, Joseph?
Joseph was living a comfortable life with his family. In fact, he was so close to his father that he was the favored child out of twelve siblings. He got anything and everything he wanted. He was spoiled and comfortable.
Then God showed up and sent him to Egypt. God made him uncomfortable. Joseph became an illegitimate servant to an unfair ruler and then spent time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He was mistreated and uncomfortable.
God called Joseph to leave his comfortable life so he could prepare a way to save an entire people from extinction. The same people group He would use to save the entire world.
What are you doing out there, Peter?
Peter was comfortable making a living by the sea of Galilee. He had a house and a family and friends he was close to. Both in relationship and geographically. He ran a business that paid the bills and had a life that was comfortable.
Then God showed up and called him to leave the small town of Capharnaum and head to the big city of Jerusalem. God made him uncomfortable. In the end Peter would embrace the uncomfortable life God sent him so wholeheartedly that he would request to be crucified upside down because he felt himself unworthy to be killed in the same manner as his savior.
God called Peter to leave his comfortable life so he could be an eyewitness to the single greatest event in history. The same event that would change the entire world forever.
What are you doing out there?
I’m sick to death of comfortable Christians. I’ve read my Bible a few times and I’ve never read where God called anyone to be comfortable. To be content? For sure. To be joyful? Yes. To be reasonable? No doubt. To be kind? Yep. To be generous? Always. To be adventurous? A hundred percent. To be loving? Without fail. To be excited? Absolutely.
But to be comfortable? Not once.
So let me ask you this question. If you aren’t making a difference, what are you making? If I may be blunt, why are you here? What is your purpose?
Are you comfortable? Then you may need to reexamine which God you serve. Because it may be different from the one you think it is.
By the way, do you want to know what my response was to the lady that wanted to know why I was in California? I told her I’m a missionary. She responded, “that’s good, we need more of those out there.”
Tell me about it.
