Can you Deny your Comfort and Embrace the Discomfort?

Comfort is something we often strive for in life. Whether it is the most comfortable ride when you are selecting a new car or maybe the most comfortable recliner for an addition to your living room, perhaps even the most comfortable clothes you can wear that pass the test for “business casual.” Comfort doesn’t have to be physical. It can also be mental. Comfort comes in various outlets: a secure job, money in the bank, a loving spouse, family members who would do anything for you. But not all comfort is good.

Jesus attacks comfort head-on many times in his ministry. One of my favorite sections of scripture about this topic is in John 9:23-25. These verses are ones we can often quote, but often fail to live out. John states: “And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?'”

Take up your cross daily

Lose your life for the sake of the Gospel

Forfeit the world

Jesus tells us these are things we have to do to experience the Kingdom of God. That doesn’t sound comfortable, does it? What we see is a foreshadowing. Jesus paints the picture of himself carrying the cross to give up his own life so that he can save ours.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Finley Peter Dunne. He said, “Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” If we are living a comfortable life right now, we may need to do a heart check. We may need to deny ourselves more so we can see what God wants to do through us. Discomfort brings conviction and an open mind to the things God wants to change. You see, comfort isn’t bad, but lack of discomfort is dangerous.

The first thing I do when I get home after a day of work is to slip into my pajamas. I often look forward to being the most comfortable I can be as I lounge around. But what this does is prohibit me from doing anything worthwhile. I come up with excuses that I can’t go to the store because I have my pajamas on, I can’t mow the yard because I have already changed my clothes, etc. These are pitiful excuses because I am using comfort as a disability.

Sometimes we have to keep our mental pajamas in the drawer because there are issues God wants us to deal with. Our neighbor needs God, and we need to share the Gospel. Our own life needs transformation, and we need to stop falling into temptation. The more comfortable we are, the less likely we can achieve what God has called us to do.

Comfort in the Midst of Trouble

Some of the most compelling stories come from dangerous situations. There’s something about overcoming trouble that we humans find incredibly captivating. Hollywood has built an empire tapping into the feeling we receive when our backs are against the wall, and there is seemingly no way out. Whether it’s Clint Eastwood fighting his way out of trouble or the Avengers avoiding the Endgame, we love immersing ourselves in these situations with them. These stories send adrenaline surging through our bodies, and we get attached to these people and their problems. We get invested in these stories because we want to see their outcomes. We become the cheerleaders on the sidelines, doing our best to will these people to victory.

We enjoy these movies and stories because we know that things will work out in the back of our minds. But what do we do when troubling circumstances enter our own lives? How can we hope for victory when things are so uncertain? I believe the answer comes in one of the most famous Psalms in the Bible. Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Anybody that has lived for any reasonable amount of time knows that trouble will emerge in our lives. As much as we would like to avoid these situations, there is no way to escape the inevitable “dark valley.” God knows this better than we do; that’s why He has promised to be with us in these dark times. This promise gives us hope when life seems uncertain. When the Creator of the heavens and earth walks by our side, there is no reason to fear. God’s mighty power shields us from all harm.

However, we do have a role to play. God is always with us. His rod and His staff are always there to comfort us. But we must acknowledge His presence. The keys to our cars don’t do us any good if we deny their existence. A remote can’t change the channel if we ignore it being there. The same is true with God in all our situations. God wants to bring us peace and comfort that passes all understanding, but we have to be willing to let Him. By acknowledging God's presence and allowing Him to take control, we receive a supernatural comfort in the midst of trouble. When we know God is by our side, there is no mountain too high, valley too deep, or situation too hard. If you walk with God, He will walk with you.

Growing in the Shadows of Life

As kids, many of us had a doorframe littered with lines that identified how much we had grown over time. Remember those moments when we would stand with our backs to the wall, pencil-in a line, compare it to our past marks -- or, the marks of our siblings -- then head back to playfulness.

In most cases, nothing more was ever -- or, is ever -- done with our list of height measurements. So, why did we measure ourselves? If we didn’t plan to do anything with the data, what was the use of collecting it? The truth, in my family, we measured only for the purpose of curiosity.

Most of humanity likes to track growth because we find it fascinating. We enjoy being able to curiously look back on things and see how much growth has taken place. But growth is as tricky as it is fascinating. More often than not, we can’t see growth while it’s happening. Whether you’re a child growing in stature or an adult growing in your spiritual walk, it’s hard to see your own growth daily. It’s hard to see the smallest stages of growth because it happens slowly over time; growth takes time. And, all of us must come to learn that it most often takes place in the shadows of life.

Think about these examples of growth. A seed grows unseen underground before it sprouts. An athlete trains in an empty or densely populated gym before taking the field; growing in his skill when few -- or no one -- is watching. Like the seed and the athlete, a public manifestation is the first moment when what has happened in private is finally revealed to others in some measurable form.

Light reveals our growth, but it happens in the shadows.

Joshua is one of the best leaders in the Bible. He led millions of people into conquest to inhabit the land God had promised to the Israelites. The book of Joshua is a highlight reel of his victories and his charismatic leadership ability. But Joshua wasn’t always a leader; he wasn’t always a conqueror.

For 40 years, Joshua served under the leadership of Moses while the people wandered in the wilderness.

For 40 years, Joshua saw the people look to Moses for direction.

For 40 years, Joshua was in Moses’s shadow.

During all of this time, distanced from the main stage of leadership, Joshua could have chosen to resent Moses -- and the dimness associated with his many of his assignments. Instead, Joshua found his position to be an incredible place to grow, and in the shade of a great leader, he cultivated substantial growth. Like the seed beneath the soil and the athlete in the empty gym, Joshua embraced the growth process. He didn’t seek to grow beyond his own position too quickly.

In Exodus 33:11, we learn, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent”. When Joshua was young and learning under Moses, he took advantage of his time in secondary positions by growing in God. It was with God, unseen by others, pursuing Heaven's presence alone in a tent, that Joshua undoubtedly grew the most. This time of growth prepared him to eventually lead the nation of Israel into possession of the Promised Land.

Joshua is now a hero of the faith and will be remembered forever, but it was his growth in the shadows -- in his private gym, the tent -- that paved the way for his success. It’s hard to see our own growth because many times, we can’t see the big picture, and for some, it’s hard not to be on center stage where everyone can see you. But the time in the shadows is invaluable.

If we would all choose to spend more of our time in God’s presence -- as Joshua did -- God would mold us into who He wants us to be. So, may we all learn and experience the reality that growing in the shadows of life gives us the ability to fight for God on the brightest stages.