To those who read my blog,
Since starting this blog up again, I have had to face down some ugly parts of my garden. The weeds of unforgiveness and the thistles of past hurts have been cropping up. I’m reminded of times people have wronged me as I strive to find stories to help relate what I am talking about to something relevant that I myself have been through. After all, I want people to connect with this on a deeper level and if it is some abstract concept instead of personal testimony, it is harder to connect.
By the way, this is one of the reasons Jesus came and became a human. Fully human, by the way. We often forget that part and attribute His ability to remain perfect to the fact that He is fully God. No, He remained perfect so we have an example of someone doing it right. He came from His high position and He dwelt with us so that He could be there in the most uncomfortable positions. That’s where I want to take this post, today; into the uncomfortable.
Here’s a question I struggle with; why did Jesus go from up on high, where He was at the right hand of God to us, where He had to deal with weakness, pain, humiliation, and finally the worst kind of death? I know the answer. I struggle with the answer, but I know it. If you are a Christian, you probably know the answer as well. In fact, if we have been doing our job right, secular people should know why as well.
Love. It was love that brought Jesus to earth. It was love that drove Him to live among us. In fact, one of the most famous stories of Jesus dealing with the pain of life came at a time when Jesus was showing just how loving He is.
John 11 talks about a time when Jesus visited a friend who was sick and dying. In fact, the friend was in Judea. There were also spiritual leaders there who wanted to kill Jesus in Judea. Jesus had to make a choice. He could either stay away from people who were trying to kill Him, or He could go to His sick friend and be there for this friend in the most dire of circumstances.
Who, among those reading this, can say they would risk their life just to see a dying friend? There’s a huge lie in North America. The lie is that we have the right to comfort. We don’t. We don’t get to live lives of comfort just because we were born into a comfortable place. Especially because of where our comfort comes from.
For example, I own an ipod. It broke down a few weeks ago when I stupidly left it in a sweater that went through the wash.I want to buy another one soon so I can conveniently listen to music on the train (while ignoring the people around me like the rest of us do, but that’s another blog post for another day). Not only do I want to buy another ipod, but I also want a Wii-U and, when it comes out, a Playstation 4, which are all made in the same terrible factories that treat their employees like trash.
You see, videogames make my life not just more enjoyable, but more comfortable and so I am willing to pay a pretty penny for a good videogame system despite the treatment of other people. In essence, by my purchases, I am claiming that human beings are not worth much. As long as I can make that fat Italian man jump, I don’t care about the impoverished worker who made me playing possible.
I told you all how this blog was forcing me to confront the horrible parts of my garden, and here is one of them. An ugly and horrid bush with thorns made of hypocrisy and brambles made of self-righteousness.
My point is this: often times, our comfort comes at the expense of another person’s well being. That is never right. No, not even once. Earthly kings may ascend the throne by climbing on the backs of others, but the one true King walked away from His throne in order to show us that we worth being saved from damnation!
Comfort is not something we should be striving for! No, instead we should be striving for a life of hardship. We should give up as much as possible in order for God’s name to be lifted up.
Here’s an example. I lived in Ontario for the first nineteen years of my life. In fact, I lived in the same city for all of that time, and for eighteen out of nineteen of those years, I even lived in the same house. But when I was nineteen, I left that place to go to Calgary Alberta. I left my place of comfort in order to go somewhere where I didn’t know many people (I knew two people who were out here and one of them I did not get along with). My comfort was not my first concern. My first concern was what God wanted me to be. I felt the Spirit’s leading into ministry and I followed it.
Kind of a funny thing happened when I did. Even though my life is not the most comfortable, I have built up a life of love and sacrifice. I live with one of my best friends, I have an awesome job, and, probably most important, I go to an amazing church.
Now my mom is sick and she needs my help. I miss Ontario, but it is hard for me to imagine living there apart from the people I have grown to love so much. At one point I was in tears over the revelation that I was giving up my spiritual family for my same-genes family. I’m not saying that I don’t love and cherish my same-genes family. No, what I am saying is that moving back to Ontario scares me and if it I wasn’t so sure that it was the right thing to do, I wouldn’t be doing it. I’d stay a few more years and make more of a life here in Calgary.
But my Father in heaven has not set me up for a comfortable life. As a Christian, He has called me to forego my comfort in exchange for His provision and I will obey because I know He wants the best for me. What is amazing about leaving behind comfort is that I will get the chance to build something new for Jesus. I will get to see new blessings and new adventures!
When Jesus came and made His life among us, He may have given up the ultimate comfort, but He gained much as well. By being Human, He gained far more insight into who we are so that He can stand by us in the worst of times. He also gained us as through His humanity He built the bridge that has allowed us access to God.
Jesus gained a lot from leaving His comfort zone. I also gained when I left Ontario and I will gain again when I move back. What will you gain by embracing danger and leaving comfort?
Sincerely,
Joshua
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