This is the second, of a hopefully weekly series, that explores faith, religion, and Christianity. The idea is to share with you my faith, issues I am working on, and to promote discussion.
Please check out last week’s discussion of Disparity on Display. That discussion takes a look at disparity and injustice and proposes guidance on a response.
Comfort and Contentment
If you have been in the church recently or for some time you may have noticed a few common phrases that I want to take a look at and discuss.
The first of which is an almost incessant call to “get out of your comfort zone”. Perhaps I take issue with this because of my need to do it more.
Or not.
From a past post of mine:
“So the idea of getting outside of your comfort zone is not difficult for me. I probably took that one too far. The issue is that most of the time other people are uncomfortable when you step outside your prescribed roll. They don’t know how to respond.
I read part of a book once about guy saying to stand the other way in an elevator. I don’t take any elevators.
Ever.
Most of the time I just don’t do things because it is easier not to.
I don’t do so many of these type of things now as when I was younger. I did like James article Will You Take This $5 Bill For A $1 Bill?
Once I wore a plastic top hat and goggles to the video rental store. Remember those?
I was desperate for attention.”
In Disparity on Display, I assereted that being a U.S. citizen we “are that rich man,” that, like a camel, cannot pass through the eye of a needle. That without the crucifixion of Jesus, we have nothing to our credit that would enable us to bridge the gap between our sinfulness and God’s holiness.
And if we are unhappy because we are discontent, we are the cause.
That is that contentment word again. We will get back to it in a moment.
Intellectually, I understand the call to “get out of our comfort zones” is an attempt to communicate the need to not life a self-centered life that is concerned with nothing more than the pleasurable stimulation of our senses. In fact the Bible refers to this in the terms of “living in the flesh”
The are described, in part, in Galatians 5:19-21:
That is troublesome list.
It would be easy to say I don’t or never have done any of that. But, instead, I’ve done more than my fair share in my struggles to make it to where I am today.
And looking at it again, I have more to work on yet.
Then what hope do we have?
The alternative proposal to “living in the flesh” is “living in the Spirit” and is summed up by the next verses in Galatians:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
The call to “get out of your comfort zone” is a call to a life in the Spirit.
But wherefore do we get called to “contentment”?
As often as I hear “get out of your comfort zone”, I hear “bloom where you are planted” or “have a heart of contentment”.
Say what?
This appears to me to be “comfortable”.
Which we just explored was not a good choice.
To convolute the matter, it is said by Matthew Henry that “Gracious souls look down upon the world with a holy disdain and look up to God with a holy desire.”
However we are told:
And again:
“But godliness with contentment is a great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6
And again!
“But if we have food and clothing,
we will be content with these.” 1 Timothy 6:8
Now excuse me if my head is spinning...
There is a clear direction to be content in this world with what we are given, “in whatever circumstances”.
Then there is not necessarily a link between being content and being comfortable.
The threshold for being content is low and is a reminder that even though “godliness with contentment is a great gain”, the contentment here is one that I think has to do with our attitude towards our circumstances rather than being content with the mess that this world is in.
Or finding contentment in objects or idols, rather than Christ.
In fact, we will do well to remember that we are not supposed to be too content or comfortable here:
“For we live before You as foreigners and temporary residents in Your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.” 1 Chronicles 29:15
And Peter echos that:
“Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.” 1 Peter 2:11
