God and Our Comfort

Last Sunday I woke up with a throbbing headache, I was an emotional wreck and I did NOT want to go to church. However, God had different ideas and practically pushed me out the door. I sat by myself in the back row because I did not want to be there. I didn't feel like worshiping. I was miserable. I just wanted to go home and curl up under the covers.

The music began, I sang... I TRIED to cling to the mustard seed of faith I had left. I cried more than I sang. Then Pastor Gabe (aka my younger big brother) began his message.  The gist of his message - Comfort is not a Biblical value. He shared from the book of Esther, primarily chapter 4. It's a great book if you have a chance to read the whole thing... there's even a movie about her. Interestingly enough, she is never mentioned in the New Testament. But there is much we can learn from her story. My mind was kind of all over the place but I jotted down a few notes:

• We need to trust God enough to risk our comfort for His Kingdom.
• Esther was not lucky - she was God's woman in God's time.
• Wherever you are - you are there because God placed you there.
• I don't have to trust the plan or know the plan, I just have to trust the Planner.

The beginning of the week last week was hard... really hard. I was an emotional wreck - pretty close to the bottom of the barrel. But as I posted in the past couple days, God did some amazing stuff in getting me through it. He even kind of blindsided me with a bombshell that rocked my world and shattered my heart a bit, but He got me through it. His strength was enough. I wasn't comfortable. I'm still not comfortable. There are a lot of things in my life that are very uncomfortable right now. But, as Gabe said...

Yesterday I was reading in Luke chapter 6. Some things JUMPED off the page at me:

• "Blessed are you who are poor..." v. 20
• "Blessed are you who are hungry..." v. 21
• "Blessed are you who weep..." v. 21
• "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil." v.22 (Did you catch that? REVILE YOU. SPURN your name as EVIL.)
• "Love your enemies..." v. 27
• "do good to those who hate you..." v. 27
• "bless those who curse you..." v. 28
• "To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also..." v. 29

Does ANY of that sound COMFORTABLE? No way. But.. "Comfort is not a Biblical value." 

There are many things about my life that are quite comfortable. I have a good job, I am able to pay my bills, I have a roof over my head, I have food to eat, I have friends who love me and care for me. But there are things that aren't comfortable... there are places God has me where I sometimes question why I am there. This reminds me - He never told me He wanted me to be comfortable, He just wants me to follow Him, to obey Him. 

I am doing some things that are outside of my comfort zone but I know that I am exactly where God wants me to be today. He has shown me what my passion is and how He wants to take it and use it for His good and His glory. (He hasn't clued me in on exactly HOW He is going to accomplish it all, but I am following in faith...) In the meantime, in the day to day of life I may not be comfortable in every situation I am in, but I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW I am in the center of God's will for me today. I don't know the plan for my life and how it will unfold but I know I can trust the Planner and He is definitely worthy of all of my trust.

Trusting the Planner,

Sherri