A number of years ago, my family and I spent a year apart due to civil unrest here in Nicaragua. This was difficult on a daily basis, but come April it was almost impossible. Not only had it been a long time without family, but living in Nicaragua in April is like living on the surface of the sun. My house at the time was very basic, without air or hot water. In fact, there was a gap between the wall and the metal roof, meaning you could hear every noise outside (we even lived on the same street as the Wal-Mart distribution center for Central America, meaning trucks driving by all night long), and all sorts of creatures were prone to entering. One day, I finally had enough and got myself a hotel room for the night. It was glorious I seriously took four hot showers and ran the air conditioner as high as possible. It felt amazing to be so comfortable for once!
That comfort was, of course, only temporary. The next day I had to go right back to the heat. In a sense, it’s the same way with comfort in our world. We are constantly told we have to have all sorts of things to have a comfortable life. Five bedroom homes, vacation homes, sports cars, HEMI trucks, hot tubs, boats, etc. Look, I don’t see anything wrong with being comfortable. If God has blessed you with the ability to have comfort, praise God! The problem is when living a life of comfort becomes our goal and keeps up from living God-centered lives. This is what the world constantly tells us. Get enough of the right stuff and things will be perfect and comfortable. Here is the problem. That view is so fake! It’s about as real as the $3 Oakley’s I can buy on the street. The problem is that a comfortable life is often an empty life. Like that hotel room I had, it’s great for awhile, but eventually you need more and more to be comfortable. Worldly comfort is simply always going to be temporary and fake.
Here is James’ response to the fake comfort of the world:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:2-5
Checkout that word steadfast. God promises that when we have a steadfast faith He will never leave us. He will guide us, love us, strengthen us, and forgive us. For me, there is no greater comfort than knowing that all those HUGE things are taken care. The comfort we receive from our faith in God is a real comfort, not a fake one. It never goes out of fashion, never breaks, never needs repaired, and never fails. It is perfect, and it’s eternal. Let’s stop chasing after the fake comfort the world is trying to sell us, and instead sit back and enjoy the perfect comfort we have in God, both now and for eternity.
