The Comfort Obstacle
By March Villareal
During the time when warfare involved knights, swords, and
castles, there would always be a need to scale the walls when
attacking cities and fortresses. The size and strength of the
wall will be what makes or breaks the campaign. We often find
some sort of wall separating two warring side- one trying to
conquer, the other refusing to be conquered.
Within our relationship with God, there are normal sets of
experiences that challenge our growth, peace, and joy. The
beginning of 1Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized
you except what is common to man" But, in addition to these
"common" obstacles, there are also certain things that we
encounter that become barriers to our faith-walls that are
between us and the maturity of walk in Christ. Sometimes these
so-called barriers are even dependent upon the geographic
location and the resident culture there.
For example, in major parts of Africa, there is widespread
hunger & poverty that can prove to be a challenge when you are
dealing with the idea of a God who supposedly gives
"exceedingly, abundantly, more than you can ever ask or
think"(Ephesians 3:20 NKJV). In China and most Middle Eastern
countries, where the government systems are openly hostile to
the Gospel, there is extreme social pressure to become a closet
or underground Christian (Psalm 119:157). Still in most Asian
countries, the barrier is religious plurality. There are so many
belief systems to contend with and to live alongside of, that
the diverse worldviews are just begging to be dabbled in. It is
such a huge part of that resident culture that the challenge is
simply resisting even a portion of compromise (Deuteronomy
32:16). Finally in Europe it's liberalism. Sexuality, politics,
pop-culture, even laws have polarized to their full liberal
expressions, so that almost everything is tolerated, if not
altogether socially accepted. Religion is viewed as an
accessory, something that drags you down from experiencing a
total freedom that you deserve (Romans 1:24-32).
In light of all this, I believe America is still left with the
greatest challenge of all. As opposed to the obstacles found in
foreign countries, where the threat is visible and measurable,
America's problem is much less tangible, and therefore much more
often overlooked.
What is it? In Deuteronomy 6:10-12, the Lord warns the people
that during their times of safety and plenty that they do not
forget who saved them from Egypt.
"So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land
of which He swore to your fathers to give you large and beautiful
cities which you did not build, hewn-out wells which you did not
dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant beware,
lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of
Egypt, from the house of bondage".
In their prosperity, they were in danger of forgetting God.
While they experienced peace and comfort, they were at risk of
overlooking who led them to the very bounty they now enjoy.
America is faced with the same type of stumbling block. While
Christians in other countries are in the battle for their lives
against inhospitable threats, we here in America are in war
against peace itself- against abundance and good quality of
life.
Ironic enough it's the challenging settings, where persecution
and hunger oppress the believers, that we find the strongest and
most well-rooted Christians. The Bible makes a great example of
flourishing under hard circumstances. In Exodus 1:12 it says,
"But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and
spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites"
The Hebrews grew greater when they were treated harshly by the
Egyptians.
In general terms, we live in relative comfort here in the United
States. And though we have some social, political, and economic
challenges of our own, we have freedoms and opportunities that
allow for a great potential for success and enjoyment of life.
Paul argued that suffering ultimately produces hope (Romans
5:3-5) In our case, this promise of prosperity and wealth
produces comfort. Comfort in turn produces complacency.
Complacency produces contentment - which neither recognizes a
need to call on God, nor sees the urgency for Him to act quickly
on behalf of His people. For the Christian, it is doubly
destructive. For one, since everything is doable and within
reach, we treat God like a genie or a butler that we only call
when we need Him. Secondly, the need to preach and spread the
gospel to a dying world has become non-urgent.
These walls of comfort and contentment must be either pulled
down or climbed over. As we live in our air-conditioned houses,
where we watch our colored televisions, surf the net, and eat
our favorite snacks, we are unsuspectingly being dulled and
fattened for the kill. As our comfort zones become wider and
more encompassing, our desire to do, move, pray, seek, work,
help, reach, and care will fade in proportion to our growing
complacency. It will continue to dissolve till finally we become
exactly the Christian that our enemy wants us to be: lazy,
comfortable, indifferent, unkind, content useless.
March M. Villareal is a Christian who just happens to like
to write.
www.manswicked.com
