Thought for the Month - April 2012
"Comfortable Christianity" By Barry Adair
(Are you sitting comfortably?)
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin…
Or so went the opening line from "Listen with Mother", a popular BBC radio programme for children which ran between 1950 and 1982. This opening question became so well known that it ended up in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.
I was thinking about 'Comfortable Christianity' this month and it made me feel very uncomfortable indeed!
When I was researching this Thought, I came across this 10 point checklist on how to determine whether you have become a Comfortable Christian. The author said that much of what was listed below was going to be a public confession of some personal sins and I can second him in that.
Have a read…
You are a comfortable Christian if…
- You are not attending church with a high level of expectancy.
- You no longer seem to be concerned about the spiritual condition of neighbours, family members, or your co-workers.
- You haven't had a spiritual conversation with a non-Christian in a long time.
- The Bible seems like a history book. It's lifeless to you.
- Your happiness on a Sunday mornings is more important than what it takes to reach the un-churched. As long as you get your parking spot, your seat, and hear the music you like, everything's fine.
- The plight of the poor doesn't concern you.
- Pictures of overseas suffering do not move you to action.
- You do not give your financial resources sacrificially.
- Your prayers don't seem to be making it past the ceiling.
- It doesn't even dawn on you that God could do something incredibly radical in your life at any moment today. It's not even on your radar.
Still have that comfortable feeling? I know I didn't.
Another brother in the Lord writes…
While we sit comfortably by, the enemy is working hard. Too many Christians want to do "the Sunday thing" only on Sundays instead of every day. If the enemy can get the Christians' eyes off of the commission to "make disciples of every nation" (Matt. 28:19) by distracting us with creature comforts, economic security, our desire not to make waves, or the expectation that someone else will make a difference in the world, that is when we will put down our armour so we can rest in the comforts of our easy lives. In such a state, the enemy is more effective than we are.
Don't get too comfortable. Support missionaries. Pray for evangelists and pastors. Pray for God's will to be done in hearts. Pray even to be prepared and used by God. Get out there and fight for righteousness with whatever gifts God has given you, whether it is finances, money, words, love, helps, prayer, motherhood, fatherhood, etc. Do whatever you do for God's glory and live your lives so that the word of God would be exalted and others would see the light of Christ in you - even if it costs you something.
However, as well as the above challenges, I also want to state a comfortable truth. Those of us who have accepted Jesus as our personal Saviour are eternally secure! We can never lose that salvation because it was imputed to us by God Himself. Just think, whatever happens in this turbulent world cannot affect our guaranteed reservation in Heaven and an eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ died, not to make our life comfortable, but to make our eternity comfortable.
If I want to say one thing, to myself more than to anyone else, it would be this…
Our life is not about our comforts.
It is about loving God, loving others, and spreading the word of God.
I want to end with a quote I received just today.
It was sent from a Missionary couple who live on the border of South Korea and North Korea. Wanting to reach out to probably the most uncomfortable country in the world, this young couple embody the truth that we are not on this earth for a comfortable life. The quote (more of a question really) was from the American pastor and author, Mark Buchanan…
"When did we make it our priority to be safe instead of dangerous, nice instead of Holy, cautious instead of bold, self-absorbed instead of counting everything as loss in order to be found in Christ?"
That's it for another month (DV)…
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1: 2-4, NASB)
Until next month then (DV)…
P.S. I searched the Scriptures (NASB) for the word "comfortable". This is what came up in the search, thereby summarising this Thought in one sentence.
Sorry! The word "comfortable" doesn't occur in the NASB.
Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!