Do you love comfort? I know that I do.
When I think of comfort, here are some other words that immediately come to mind:
convenience, relaxation, soft (bed or pillow, haha), rest, easy, laziness, bubbles (ones we live in, not the kind that kids play with)
Which words come to mind for you?
In general, comfort is a good thing. Comfort can be a result of living in a peaceful way, place, or time. Peace is good. Future comfort can also be a motivator for hard work in the present. That is good too!
But have you thought about the dangers of comfort? A lot of having a truly successful life in this world involves balance. Almost anything can become an idol and almost anything can lure you away from a relationship with God and others. This includes comfort.
Here are some ways that too much comfort can hurt you (and those around you):
It can generally demotivate you.
It can hurt or limit opportunities to form new relationships.
It can damage the quality of your current relationships.
It can stifle your creativity.
It can reduce your drive for working hard.
It can make you forget about God (or think that you don’t need Him).
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know all of us need to rest and decompress regularly. My focus is on helping you stay clear of the type of comfort that can lead to you becoming distant from your family, friends, and your Creator.
Here are some ways to put comfort in its proper perspective:
Give thanks to God for your comforts.
Share your comforts with others (within reason -- no need to share your favorite pair of comfortable underwear lol).
Use future comfort as a motivator or goal that inspires you to do good work in the present.
Be intentional about engaging others and fostering relationships.
Sacrifice comfort from time-to-time so that you can become stronger in an area (spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, social).
Find the balance between rest and work.
Remember that ultimate peace and comfort will be in Heaven (this doesn’t mean that Heaven’s inhabitants will lounge in clouds eating bonbons for eternity).
I've been checking my own heart concerning comfort these days. Sitting in front of my computer and writing is probably the most relaxing or comfortable activity for me. And that’s dangerous because writing is my calling. I love what I do for a living! But I also know that my comfort in this respect pulls me away from others. It’s almost impossible to write productively with others around. Therefore, it’s important that I get my writing tasks done when others are asleep or away. I want to improve at being more present with others.
How does too much comfort negatively affect your life and relationships?
I’d love to hear from you. Reply to this email or leave a comment below with your thoughts on comfort.
Pray for me. I’m praying for you!
-Chris
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