We
use the word comfort and comfortable often in our lives. When someone is discouraged or going through
a difficult time, we try to comfort or cheer them up and give encouragement and
hope. In times of sadness and loss we console
to ease the grief and sadness. The goal is
to give of ourselves to relief or encourage someone else. Our use of the word comfortable can be
used in similar ways when we may ask a guest if a chair or bed is
comfortable. In each of these uses the
focus is on our looking out for the welfare of others.
At
the same time, we must admit that we use most of our energy pursuing and
protecting the “comforts of life.” We have
come to believe that we deserve a comfortable and healthy life, with a
comfortable income, in a comfortable house, in a comfortable neighborhood, driving
a comfortable car, watching football in a comfortable chair, and sleeping in a
comfortable bed. Now do not misunderstand me! Having any or all
of this is not wrong and in fact they should be seen as given to us by God (unless
you stole the comfortable car). God often blesses materially and physically and
invites us to enjoy our lives here on earth. The problem comes when we our joy in life in
based on our comfort level rather than our identity in Christ.
The
Heidelberg Catechism addresses this in its first question when it asks, “What
is thy only comfort in life and death?” It is easy for us to quickly reply with “Jesus”
but I encourage you to do some self-reflection on what your “only comfort in
life” truly is. Find a quiet place to pray and ask yourself what would happen
if you lost all or most of your “comforts of life?” Would you be okay with that? Could you sing, and truly mean it, the words “you
can have all this world, just give me Jesus?” Most, if not all, find it hard to
let go of the “comforts of life” because they are our security; we feel like
must have them to survive. But do we? Let’s go back to the Heidelberg Catechism and
look it’s answer to the question.
“Answer:
That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong
unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully
satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil;
and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can
fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation,
and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and
makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.”
These
words are not only a powerful encouragement to us, a comfort, but should also
be used as a regular prayer where we ask our gracious Heavenly Father to free
us from our love of earthly comfort and help us actually believe this to be
true! Can you imagine the contentment,
joy, and peace we would have? We will
get there eventually but in the meantime time let’s make it our goal to have a “take
it or leave it’ mentality with the comforts of life and grasp tightly the only
true comfort in this life and in death.
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