This is one of many prayers I’ve written as I struggle with my own desire to be comfortable…to seek out comfort…to be distracted by the safe, the risk-free, the easy life. How in the world do we become truly courageous, risk-takers for the kingdom in a culture where comfort comes so easily? How in the world does the Church in America guard against the very same? We are so comfortable. I know I am. And I’m afraid I feel the conviction of this more than I act against it.
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One of the things I want to guard against the most in my spiritual life is comfort— and complacency—against sitting back in comfort while this world is full of discomfort and pain.
My natural inclination is to be comfortable, and make my faith all about God and me—that one-on-one relationship. But if I’m seriously pursuing a relationship with you, Lord—seriously pursuing the heart of God, then there is NO WAY I can sit back in comfort. You won’t let me, Lord. Because as I get closer to you and discover more about you, and learn more about who you are, I hear more and more clearly:
“Who will go?”
“Whom shall I send?”
“Feed my sheep.”
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
“I laid down my life for this world. Are you willing—can you be willing—will you at least explore with me how to become willing—to do the same in your life? To lay down certain self-seeking pleasures—even good things—in order to follow me and serve a hurting world and bring healing to your land?”
As I watch the news and read social media, and see pain and violence, and hear the negative words that are spewing out of people’s mouths and filling our minds constantly, the call comes again—and it’s for us all—to go…to enter into the pain of this world bearing the light, the love, the grace, the truth of Christ and his love.
To be healers and restorers.
To be life-givers.
To let our faith be more than a one-on-one personal relationship with you—as precious and important as that is—but to let our faith be at work through love so that our land, our world, is healed by the power of Christ working through us as we love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
May I be brave and willing. May Your Church be brave and willing.
Amen.