Comfortable Christians

Many of us get dressed on Sunday morning to attend worship services, sit in our “regular” seat in the sanctuary, say hello to our church friends, and participate in all of the activities outlined in the bulletin. After exchanging a few pleasantries after service, we go home and put away our Bibles until the following week, when we do it all again. Ahh, the life of a “Comfortable Christian.”

A good job, a nice car, and a decent home are what many prosperity preachers tell us to aspire to. “Name it and claim it” and “believe it and receive it” are the mantra of these motivational leaders. From the pews, it would seem that salvation is linked to how much you can get from God. And once this prosperity has been achieved…then what?

Recently, I spoke with a pastor from Liberia, a country still recovering from a devastating civil war. As we talked, it occurred to me how “comfortable” we are as Christians. If it wasn’t enough that America allowed for some of the physical comforts that many countries lack…I realized that as a nation, our spirituality is in a comfortable state as well.

Like many of our other selfish pursuits (a good job for “me”, a nice car to take “me” where “I” want to go, and a big home for “my” family), our spirituality is all about ourselves. “I” need to be saved so that “I” can have eternal life. And while it is true that we only have ourselves to answer for on Judgment Day, one of the things that God requires of us as Christians is to spread the Good News. Not only through our actual word-of-mouth testimony, but through our actions and the love we show to others.

Paul recognized that as a Christian, it was spiritually dangerous to fall into a state of comfort. When he found himself with a thorn in his side (whether it was figurative or literal is up to the theologists to debate), Paul considered it to be a device from God to keep him from boasting about the great spiritual things that had been revealed to him. Paul went on to say that it was the hardships and challenges that were spiritually profitable, and revealed, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) When we operate outside of our comfort zone, we have the best opportunity to be used by God.

Are you willing to step outside of your comfortable Christianity to be of help to others? Ask yourself: what more can I do? How can I be of help to people in other parts of the world—or my neighbors down the street? Allow God to speak to your spirit and He’ll give you the strength to do the rest!