Reply to "Odd Spiritual Equation"

Hey, Y'all,

Just heard from a good friend who's been away for a while--serving aboard a Navy ship (welcome back!) and his reply to the last one is today's RST...

"Interesting. Too often I find myself comfortable, as I am right now. I find myself depending on my own strength, maybe because it's just too difficult to trust in His (right now). Lately I've been feeling like following Him is too difficult in my current situation, and I've conformed to the elements around me. It hasn't made me a different person altogether, but it's rehashed some of my old habits. For example, I went about 6 months without cussing. That was, to me, my biggest challenge at the time. I realize now that it was only part of the entirety of my sin, a part of sin that I could teach myself to control while turning a blind eye to all the other sin I committed. I see now that sin is a structural part of being human, and while Jesus died so that we may be saved, we are still sinners. Our strength, I believe, is in finding forgiveness in relationship with Him and knowing that 'while we were yet sinners...Christ died for us.' I still struggle, I condemn myself for the sins that I commit even knowing that I once had control. I look to Christ for forgiveness, and every day I find it. How does He keep you on your toes?"

Thanks, brother...a lot of what we read last RST (and this one) hits home...

Comfort equals confusion. Calamity equals clarity.

Being comfortable can cloud the picture of what God is doing. A comfortable place often makes me lazy spiritually. I find myself praying less, seeking God less, and often finding it hard to recognize the voice of God in my life.

In this culture of relative affluence, we keep trying to seek more comfort when that may be the worst thing for us...Our "joy" over temporal things competes with our true joy in Christ.

Not that I wish calamity on you or me, but I think we need to learn to welcome it as an opportunity to grow (read James 1:2-4 and Romans 8:28 again). So, if you're feeling a little brave today (again), pray this little prayer with me (again):

"Lord, if we find calamity upon us, make our faith strong, and if we feel too comfortable, awaken us to distrust the source of our comfort if it is anything other than you."

You've been prayed for today...