How can comfort be uncomfortable?

We had a guest speaker at church yesterday. Pastor Kurt Gebhards, from Grace Community Church, spoke on the need to be serving the church community if you are a genuine believer. He had a great message, but two points resonated in my own heart.

The first point he made that struck me that morning was that service and ministry are gifts from God. God never had to allow us to supply for the needs of others. He could have done it all Himself. However, God knew that it would bless us and give us eternal rewards if we were able to work for His kindgdom.

Of course, we know that salvation cannot be earned or bought by our deeds. Only Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for our sin. The act of service is, as Pastor Kurt put it, a natural partner with salvation. It is the fruit we bear when God has redeemed us!

This was a wake-up call for me that morning. I serve in some areas that are easier or harder than others. One area in which I do minister that is not my particular FAVORITE is working in the nursery second service at church. It is always the most crowded, the babies all need naps at that time, and I am tired from dealing with Carter. However, I KNOW God wants me to still do this job with a joyful attitude. I am ALLOWED, by Him, to truly sacrifice my time and energy to do a thankless job that most people avoid. I certainly have NOT had a good attitude about it many weeks, so I had to change my attitude. Guess what? The nursery that morning was so much easier. Though I had a crying baby in my arms that needed to go down for a nap, the difference was my attitude. I saw the work as a privelege and a way to glorify God!

Pastor Kurt's second point was on comfort. He reminded us that comfort is a curse, not a blessing. What I found humorous was that I had just had a similar discussion with Ryan. We had been driving down Niguel Road to Salt Creek Beach to have a picnic dinner. After coasting past the St. Regis Resort and parking by the Ritz Carlton, we were laughing at how insanely out of focus all our ideas are when we think about the normal income and the normal material needs of the average family.

I remember saying to Ryan that one of the particular temptations that we have, as Christians in Orange County, is materialism and comfort that goes with riches. If we lived in the countryside of Oklahoma, for instance, our temptations would be different. God doesn't want us to idolize riches or comfort. He isn't concerned with whether or not we can look "put-together" walking in the mall or whether our television is HD compatible. As Christ told the disciples in Matthew 19:24,

"Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Why is this true? A rich man has to give up something he has--comfort and security--and replace it with the attitude of "whatever you want, Lord." A poor man doesn't have to make as many possible sacrifices in material idols.

Ryan and I don't want to love comfort. We want to seek God. Sometimes God blesses us with comforts, but many times He requires sacrifice. Ryan and I want to hear,

"Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:23)

Whether it comes to serving sacrificially in an area that is far from comfortable or having a lifestyle that is willing to give up comforts for God, we need, as Christians, to never seek comfort. Ask God for His provision, and He will fill you up. His grace is sufficient.