Every time I travel with my ministry to Africa I have the hardest time adjusting. I hate the heat like I hate cockroaches. I hate sweating even more. To respect their culture, we also wear full suits when we speak, and the buildings there don’t have air-conditioning. I have such a hard time focusing on the task at hand because I’m so uncomfortable. I love my comforts, but they also ruin me.
Deceptive Comforts
Like most things, comforts are not necessarily bad, but they can enslave you if you value comforts over people or God. Sure it’s fine to have a nice couch or A/C. It’s even fine to binge watch a TV show. However, if we are living for these comforts it won’t take long for us to be enslaved.
Think about this. If there’s something I’d really like to do, but I end up not doing it because it’s too uncomfortable, doesn’t that kind of sound like something outside of myself if controlling me? If I’m really lonely and I have no friends, but I’m far too scared to go and make friends, doesn’t this sound like I’m trapped in a prison. Sure, it’s a prison of choice, but it’s still a prison.
Overvaluing comforts can keep us from amazing things like adventures, camping, hiking, traveling, romance, a job you actually enjoy, a meaningful life, and especially a joyful and obedient life with Christ.
Comforts Insulate us From Good
While I was in the Middle East I was stripped of the many comforts we enjoy here in America. I hated it at first and I often let this little thing ruin my day. After a little while, I recognized that I had been turning to comforts to satisfy me, not Jesus. Since most of my comforts had been stripped away, they couldn’t distract me from Jesus anymore. I enjoyed a time of rich growth and vibrance because Jesus became my source of hope, relief, and joy.
On top of this, I realized that I wasn’t satisfied with these comforts and realized this world could never satisfy me. This then caused me to focus on our true home in heaven and how short our lives are here on earth. If you knew you were going to stay in an apartment for only a month before flying to your true home on the other side of the world, then you probably wouldn’t buy much furniture. You might buy only what you need, and ignore the rest. Why would you settle down and get comfortable if you knew your time there was short? In the same way, why should we settle down and get comfortable here when all that you have here will pass away in a few years? We can’t lose our focus on our true home in heaven.
Breaking free
That was an amazing season, but I’d be lying if I said I’m still experiencing it to this day. Unfortunately, I’m trapped back in my comforts, and it’s so hard to break free. It’s even harder to want to break free. I have to often take intentional steps outside of my comfort-zone to keep from letting these comforts control me again.
You might not have ever tasted life outside of your comforts, but I promise you that it is worth it. Just try it. You might not notice a difference after a day or two, especially if you only focus on how uncomfortable you are and long for the material things that would meet that need. However, if you turn to God and allow him to fill the void, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
What have you learned from living an uncomfortable lifestyle? What keeps you from letting go of your comforts?
If you want to read more about how comforts pull us away from adventurous living, check out my blog Two Keys to a Life of Meaning and Adventure
