I was just reading an email from someone who talked about her recommitment to Jesus. What led her back to Christ was an epiphany of the difference between comfortable and contentment. She had lived a comfortable life and thought she was content. When the comfortable life disappeared so did her contentment. It wasn’t until she was able to find her contentment in Jesus, apart from being comfortable, that her soul was satisfied. She said that this is a problem with the present generation. This is actually a problem for every generation.
What does it mean to be comfortable? Is it having a place to live, three meals a day, clothes that you wear and others that you don’t? Is being comfortable having a job, an income greater than expenses, places to go and the means to get there? Am I comfortable because I have family and friends who love me, encourage me, and have my back when things aren’t going well? Is comfort knowing I have purpose, a plan that leads me ahead, or passions that drive me each day? Then, I guess, I am comfortable.
Contentment is knowing that if all the things that make me comfortable are stripped away I will be safe in my Father’s loving hands. Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom and all the things that make you comfortable will be added unto you (my paraphrase).” Matt. 6:33. But he also said, “in this world you will have trouble, and the things that make you comfortable will be stripped away, but don’t worry I have overcome the world (my paraphrase).” John 16:33.
Contentment is knowing that in Christ I have meaning and purpose, and the daily bread he supplies is enough for me. “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8.
It’s not wrong to be comfortable. I believe it is a taste of heaven. But if being comfortable becomes the end and we elevate it above being content in Christ, God will bring the idol crashing down. It takes a lot of weeding for God to clear our garden of comfort so that we can see the flower of contentment.
My prayer for you today is that if you have confused comfortableness with contentment, that God will do whatever it takes for you to trust in Him and find contentment in His plan and provision. I’m just saying…
From the bunker Day 46
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