Don't Get Too Comfortable
Hey Hey!!! Are you there? Can you hear me?
Are you alert or are you all comfy, in your favorite fall leggings and oversized sweatshirt? Are you sipping your favorite coffee or cola and gearing up to check a few things off your To Do List? Are you making plans and thinking about what you want to do? Did you know we can get too comfortable?
While we are creating a comfy and cozy existence for ourselves, the world is out there going to hell. If we are honest, we are comfortable with it. We have turned off the news, avoid the dangerous areas of town, and do nothing to share Jesus with the lost. Do you think we are supposed to sit back, stay in our comfort zone, and just watch it happen? Or is there something we are supposed to do?
Sorry to bust up in your day and be so direct; but we are too comfortable. We are too self-focused and indulgent. We have forgotten that this is all temporary.
Here are a few questions for us both…
When we open our Bible – are we doing it because we are supposed to or because we desire time with Jesus, want to know Him more and long to be spiritually mature?
When we sit and listen to the pastor at church – do we enjoy his message and let it slip from our mind as we walk out the door or do we listen to hear what God has to say to us directly so we can apply it and experience His transformational power?
When others come to us with problems, do we share our opinions, or do we point them to the Savior and the truth found in God’s word?
When we encounter struggle, do we pray for our will to be done, or do we trust Him - accepting that His will, His way, is always best even when we do not understand.
Do we pray for our children to live a Godly life when we are stuck in our own comfort zone, going through the motions, living to fulfill our personal desires, and too tired to even think about it right now?
This morning, I was reading 1 Peter 2:1-12…
Here are some takeaways for us…
Verse 1: “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking” We are to rid ourselves of all evil behavior. Yikes! Pride, lust, self-centeredness – all of it.
Verse 2: “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” If we have experienced God’s amazing grace, we are to desire, to long for, God’s word. We are to read it and apply it, allowing God’s transformational power to change us.
Verse 4: “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Jesus is our Chief Cornerstone, the foundation upon which we are to build our lives. We are living stones. If we want our children and grandchildren to be living stones – then we need to recognize that He has called us priests and given us the privilege and responsibility of offer our self as a living sacrifice to Him. What does that really mean? It means exchanging the desires of our heart for what His desires are for us; no longer living for me, but living all day every day for Him.
Verse 9: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” We are to be a unified group of people who are set apart for God’s use. Are we? Are we doing life in community with others who love Jesus? Are we stirring one another up to love and do good works? (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Verse 11 – “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” Peter uses “sojourners and pilgrims” to remind us that this is not our home. We are here for a blip of time and will spend all of eternity with Jesus. This is why we must distance ourselves from our own self-indulgent urges – like being comfy cozy. Our life is not a game – we are not here to be happy or to make sure those around us are happy. This is a spiritual war.
If you love a To Do List, here is a new one for us…
Surrender my flesh and all that is evil to the Holy one.
Crave time and make time to spend in the written Word and with the Living Word (Jesus), asking the Holy Spirit to help me.
Sacrifice my desire to be comfortable and step out of my comfort zone to let God use my everyday life, my words, my work, and my giftings to point others to Him. Their eternity matters.
Be a part of a community of Believers – friends, family, church – so we can encourage one another as we rise up and lead out for His glory. We need Jesus and we need community.
Suit up for war. Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy our purpose. Fix our eyes on Jesus, walking and talking with Him. In Him, we have the victory!
Together, let’s pray…
Our gracious Heavenly Father, please forgive us. We are so self-indulgent, focusing on all the earthly things we desire instead of desiring You. Help us, Lord. Help us to long for You the way a baby longs for milk. Help us to grow to know You more and to exchange our desires for the plan and purpose you have for us. Help us to step out of our comfort zone and into your will. We need You. Please guide and direct our thoughts, our beliefs, our actions, and the course of our life. We want to love You more. We want to know You more. We want to experience You more. We want to do and become what you would have us to do and become. Help us surrender more & more of “me” and to partake of more and more of You. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Note from Pam:
Thank you for reading this blog post. It is my prayer that God will use my words to encourage you to engage Jesus in an intimate relationship. I love working with women one to one and in groups to help them remove their blindspots and move forward in true freedom and leadership. I would love to come alongside you and help you step into God’s plan for your life. If that is of interest to you, let’s chat. Just click here.
I love you and am thankful you are here. Let’s ask, “Master, what matters?” and let’s engage Him and experience the more He came to offer.
Pam
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