unHOLY Fridays: UNcomfortable

This week at home church, our group got into a discussion about ways to go beyond and do more.  A few thoughts were put on the table when someone mentioned that they liked an idea, but it made them uncomfortable.

I knew the feeling. That happens to me a fair bit. God often pokes at our hearts to step outside of ourselves to do something for His purposes that makes us uncomfortable to reveal His glory all the more.

No one likes to be uncomfortable - (that's why we add the "un" in front of it) - in fact, it's quite the opposite of what we usually work towards.  We work hard to find the comfortable places in life. We work hard to make life comfortable for ourselves and our families.  We work hard so that eventually we don't have to work hard at all.

And yet, sometimes it is when we are put in uncomfortable situations that we have the very best of times, the very best adventures, and are challenged in new ways. Being uncomfortable often forces us into something new, something different, and sometimes, something better.

The Bible is full of the stories of uncomfortable people. 

Think about Noah.  He looked like a crazy person - building an ark when there was nothing (it seemed) to fear. Gathering stinky animals and spending 40 days and 40 nights shut in with them and his family on a boat. The ups and downs of the waves. 40 days and 40 nights with family...stuck...on a ship. Uncomfortable. And yet, Noah was being obedient to God's call.  It saved Noah and his family and allowed God to work as He had desired.

Think about Daniel.  He just wanted to honor God by praying three times a day. And yet, when this became illegal, he did it just the same no matter what the consequence.  He was under constant threat, until, of course, he was found and tossed into the lion's den. He didn't care that he could have been comfortably left alone had he stopped the praying - he chose to follow God they way he had. And with that, an uncomfortable trip to the lion's den. And God remained faithful.
 
Think about Mary: so young, not yet married, pregnant, taking a long trip to an unknown city, having a baby among the animals. THAT, my friends, is uncomfortable.  And yet, the result?  Of course, it was the birth of the Saviour of the world.


In fact, it is hard to think of a story in Scripture that has anything at all to do with comfort. Throughout church history, God's kingdom has advanced through persecution, martyrs, pains, and difficulties. God's plan for His people is often birthed out of many uncomfortable, but incredible, experiences.

And so, why is it that we so often desire comfort?  I want to be challenged. I want to be pushed. I want to be uncomfortable.

Don't get me wrong, I like comfort. But I want to be used by God, and I want to be willing to be uncomfortable for His purposes.  So, at the danger of fearing what it may bring, I'm praying for uncomfortable situations that God will use me for His purposes.