“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” 2 Cor. 5:15
How much of our lives do we spend trying to get comfortable, to be comfortable, to remain comfortable, to avoid being uncomfortable, craving comfort, desiring comfort, lusting after it, living for it, indulging in it, frantically clinging to it, clawing at it, desperately seeking it, holding onto it for dear life, chasing after it like we can’t live and breathe without it, making decisions based on it?
“Die to self,” the Spirit of God spoke to me early one morning as I climbed up off the floor from praying briefly there.
Believing in and following the Lord Jesus Christ for the promise of a forever relationship with God is not about living for self. It’s about dying to self. It’s not about living for comfort. It’s about dying to it and living for Him no matter how uncomfortable we may be at times following Him.
I had been thinking for the umpteenth time about a loved one who had hurt me immeasurably through the years and had recently hurt me yet again right at the core of me. God had been reminding me of His call for me to love, forgive, and honor this person – no matter how the person treated me. What would have been comfortable to my flesh in response to this would be to lash out in self-pity, hurt, anger and vengeance, accusation, judgment, and condemnation, or to run as far away as possible forever, my tail between my legs, to withdraw my love permanently, to speak nastily and pridefully of the person for the rest of my life.
The life of following Christ is not about finding and keeping comfort for the flesh. It’s not about us. It’s not about what we desire, lust after, what pleases us and makes us happy and content. It’s about repenting of our sins, placing our trust in Him, devoting our lives to Him forever, loving and worshiping God for eternity, and loving others and helping them to find and follow the Lord Jesus Christ no matter how uncomfortable our flesh might be in the process, no matter where God sends us, no matter to whom God sends us, no matter what He commands us, no matter the cost to our comfort.
Are you living for yourself and your comfort, or for Christ? Live for Him! Our flesh may hurt like heck when we forsake worldly pleasure, happiness, and comfort to follow Him, but the unfathomable joy of pleasing the Lord and growing ever closer to Him and knowing we who follow Him will be with Him everlastingly is worth every ounce of comfort we must forsake in pursuit of Him. Our lives are His as Christ followers, are they not? Let us then forsake our comfort for the Lord!