Uncomfortable Comfort: Living in God’s Will
As Christians we should care about God’s will for our lives, but we can become obsessive about figuring out what that will is. Have you ever gotten stuck at a crossroads not sure which to take? I know I have.
Indecision keeps us comfortable
Here’s the ugly, cliche truth. Not making a decision is the decision to stay comfortable. I want you to hear me on this. Sitting in the agony of the decision itself afraid to move forward because we don’t want to get it wrong is the decision to stay comfortable.
Stop fearing failure! The disciples were not comfortable. They had no idea what they were doing. Peter regularly put his foot in his mouth. One of them ran out of the garden naked he was so scared when Christ was arrested. They thought they were following a man who would free them from Roman occupation and they discovered they were following the God of all creation who would give them eternal life!
They got some of the details wrong in the beginning. But they were faithful. They made the decision to step out of the comfort of their homes, their families, their occupation, the judgement of friends, and do something radically uncomfortable. They chose to follow Jesus.
The power of being uncomfortable
Christ told his followers that great, terrible, painful, blessings were on the horizon. They would build the church. As the church, when you come together to play your part as a body, the power of God's Kingdom is accessible. That type of responsibility is not one to casually toss to the side because we’re scared of getting it wrong.
When we have made Christ central we are given keys to the kingdom. We are given access to the kingdom and all the power that comes with it. The barriers are torn down and every dividing line is erased. Christ has invited every person imaginable. Living in God’s will is centering our lives around Christ, acknowledging the barriers He has broken down, loving our neighbors, being the steward’s of God’s message and transforming the world with the power of Christ.
Being stretched is the best place we can be
We aren’t going to have all the answers this side of heaven. We are going to make mistakes along the way. Those mistakes are not the end. They stretch us and make us better. We give Peter a hard time for putting his foot in his mouth so often. But we forget that Peter was the one who walked on water (Matthew 14:29). While all the others cowered in the boat, Peter stepped out in faith and for a brief second he experienced the full power of God!
We have access to the power of the kingdom of heaven. If you are wondering if you are living out God's will for your life, ask yourself this:
Are you being a good steward of the power you've been given?
Would you say that we, as a church body, are stepping out of our comfort and into uncomfortable places relying fully on the power of God?
How can our church collectively, and as individuals, embrace more fully the uncomfortable places God has called us to?