The Casualty of Comfort

For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith (Romans 4:3, NLT).

One of my favorite places to be is where I am right now—cozied up on the couch under a blanket with a hot cup of coffee within reach. You’re not surprised as I’ve written about this many times, but I think it’s important to take note of the frequency with which I visit this particular place. Though a recent rearranging of my living room has slightly altered my typical morning set up, the scene remains very similar as I often find comfort in the quiet of the morning when most of the world is still sleeping. Over the last year or so, specifically during this time, I have thought, prayed, and asked the Lord to direct me with anything and everything related to The Narrow Path. The decision to create my website, change my work schedule to allow for time to write, sacrifice financially to develop my site into a product I’m proud of, and every other idea that has come down the pipeline through this time of reflection and prayer has been directed by the Lord. I believe that with all my heart, because every single time, without fail, He has provided everything I’ve needed along the way. Over the last couple of years, I’ve stepped out in ways I couldn’t have imagined, but it has been so fun to witness God’s faithfulness as He leads me down this path.

Each time He starts to stir a new idea in my heart, it’s very important to me that I pause, pray, and give full consideration to whatever it may be that He is asking me to do. I always find myself rummaging through so many thoughts in my mind when this happens: Am I really supposed to do this? Maybe I’m not hearing the Lord correctly. I don’t really know what I’m doing. What if I do this and it fails? Who will I be letting down? So many “what if scenarios” flash across the screen of my brain, and before I know it, I’ve allowed the enemy to redirect me away from something that, just minutes before, I was so very certain was from the Lord. And the thing is, when I really open myself up to hearing the Lord, it typically involves a measure of obedience and a call to action. Most importantly, this call to action almost always leads me away from my places of comfort.

If we flip to the pages of Genesis, there we find the story of Abraham’s faithfulness in following God. I’ve always been in awe of his ability to leave everything behind and lean into the promises of God even when he had no idea where that was going to lead him. Not only would it have been scary, but also it was absolutely the opposite of comfort as God was asking him to leave behind everything he knew and move toward a place that would only be revealed at a later time. Whoa! As I sit here and reflect upon what faith that must have taken, I find myself recognizing my own desire to know the outcome of an action step before I’m willing to go where God is calling me. But Romans 4:3 reminds me: For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith (NLT).” He was not counted as righteous nor given the promises of God because he was perfectly obedient to the law, but rather because of his decision to believe God and act from a place of faith, not from a place of certainty or comfort.

Reflecting on this story recently got me thinking about how easy it is for me to allow my actions, or lack thereof, to be dictated based on certainty or comfort rather than faith. I recently had a conversation with a friend regarding a few new endeavors I’m considering investing some time into but haven’t taken any steps toward recently. After some back-and-forth conversation, I began to realize a big part of my inaction is related to just how comfortable I’ve gotten lately. I finally have my website developed how I want it, and I’ve settled into a great routine on Fridays where I dedicate my morning to writing while also utilizing the opportunity to do a little self-care and catch up on some things around my house that get neglected throughout the week. I’ve been productive, and it has been refreshing for my soul. Though I am confident this time has been a huge blessing from the Lord, through this conversation with my friend, I began to see how I’ve slipped into wanting to stay right where I am now rather than stepping out in faith. It was in that moment that I understood the casualty of comfort. When we allow ourselves to say yes to the routine of comfort, it becomes so very easy to stay there when God calls us to go or to say no when God asks us to say yes. Not only that, but it gives the enemy a foothold to convince us our dreams really aren’t worth pursuing, that God didn’t really say do this or do that, and before we know it, we’ve convinced ourselves that the dreams the Lord placed on our hearts aren’t really from Him at all. But if I’ve learned anything on my spiritual journey thus far, it is this: if we give the devil an inch, he will take a mile, and before we know it, that place of comfort has become the place where our dreams go to die.

As my friend and I continued our conversation, I visualized myself in another one of my favorite places: curled up on the loveseat at her house, chatting together as I sit under a big fuzzy blanket with a warm cup of tea in my hand. Don’t get me wrong, finding comfort in a warm cup of tea and conversation with a friend is a wonderful thing. It’s a place where I often find rest and feel rejuvenated to take whatever next step the Lord is calling me toward. But, admittedly, it can be easy to stay there. There have been many instances where we’ve chatted late into the evening hours, and I’ve gotten so comfortable that I haven’t wanted to get up to drive home. We laughed as she and I talked about her gently persuading me to hand over my cup of tea as she pulls the blanket off my lap and convinces me it’s time to get up and go so that I can make it safely to my destination. This is a beautiful metaphor for our faith journey. I am so thankful for friends in my life who believe in me, see the gifts I’ve been given by the Lord, and encourage me to pursue the dreams He places on my heart even when I don’t know the exact path or destination. This friend has always given me space to share and find rest, but, most importantly, I am thankful she recognizes the spiritual casualty of comfort and is willing to push me toward having the faith of Abraham and to go where God is calling.

Though I don’t know what God may be calling you to do, I am certain of the truth contained within Mark 16:15, which says: And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” I am confident we are each equipped and called to use our specific gifts and talents to share the good news of Jesus with those He places in our path. Notice the passage from Mark uses the word “go,” an action verb that requires us to make the choice that we won’t stay where we’re comfortable. It won’t always be easy, and so many times, we won’t know the exact path or destination. But if we put our faith in Jesus Christ and believe God for the promises He has made, we will, like Abraham, be counted as righteous and go places we never imagined possible.