An Uncomfortable Christianity

All of us have had this experience. We are walking down a busy street and we see some person who may look a little odd, a little too eager, and all around a little off handing out pamphlets. We may try to avoid them by passing to the other side of the street, or may tuck our hands into our pockets to appear less likely to grab one of the pieces of paper out of the unwanted, outstretched hands. As much as we try to avoid it, the piece of paper ends up in our hands, and we give it a glance and dismiss is from our mind as "just another religious nut handing out tracts." Maybe we feel a flush of shame that we are not doing more to serve the kingdom, but this feeling may quickly be replaced by the feeling that even if we did serve God more fully, it would be in a far more efficient way. The crisis of faith has been averted, and we pursue our plodding, comfortable course, pressing on toward the prize, just not pressing too very hard. As I spent the last week reading about the early church and the persecutions that assailed it, and as I listened to the message this morning asking what allows Christianity to spread, I reached an interesting conclusion. The level of comfortability that we feel in our relationship with God is directly opposed to the amount of fruit we produce for His kingdom. I do not imply that we do not receive comfort from Him, I just imply that if we feel complacent and comfortable, then we most likely are not pursuing Him the right way. In the early church, comfortablility was not an option. The persecutions of the early church are well documented, as is the resulting growth and spread of the gospel in the early years of Christianity. As much as persecution caused Christians to spread, I do not believe that this was the prime reason why Christianity also spread. Early Christians were subjected to myriad tortures and a variety of cruel deaths. These deaths could have often been avoided by merely worshiping a Roman idol, or renouncing belief in Christ. As I read account after account of these persecuted Christians singing praises to God as they burned, or uttering words of thanks and praise to Jesus that they were able to follow Him into martyrdom, I was startled by my lack of faith. When James was accused of being a Christian, he handled his impending execution with such grace and rejoicing in the Lord, that the one who brought the accusation against him was converted, and upon making this conversion public, was executed alongside James. I do not suggest that we must be made martyrs to be made more effective as Christians, but we could certainly die a little more to the world than we currently do. We have fallen into a pattern of "Comfortable Christianity" where we give our lives to God, but do so while maintaining the lives we lived before he redeemed us. I do not speak of sin, but instead speak of patterns of life. We still pursue the "finer things", we still seek the comforts this world has to offer, we plan vacations and parties and seek promotions and push and jostle for a place in this world, not realizing that one has already been provided for us. What can surpass being a child of the King? There is no sin in accruing the things that we would have in our physical, temporal world, but beware of the comfort that comes with these things. What would you part with, up to and including your life, in order to further the gospel? When I ask this question of myself, I realize how far short I fall. May you ask this question of yourself as well, and give honest answer to it. It may be uncomfortable, but that is right where God want's you to be. Lord, help me to seek a place where I am not comfortable so I can better see you accommodate for my weaknesses through your ever present strength.