Uncomfortable
I can recall a time in my life when moving from place to place was exciting. Travelling from summer camps to friends’ homes, sleeping on floors, couches, or whatever we could find. This was my high school -early college years as a Christian in West Michigan. My friend’s group was from summer camp at RLCA and WCA. We all lived hours away, so we travelled to see each other, often!
As I have gotten a little older, I’ve grown to dislike frequent travel. Which is funny because I am a full-time youth minister, which requires a pretty hefty load of travel time. I get uncomfortable in hotel rooms and Air BnB’s, sleeping on beds that aren’t my own in homes I don’t know. The pillows aren’t right, the room is too stuffy, the bed is too stiff, I miss my wife and kids…. the list goes on.
However, even within the difficulty of sleeping away from home, these moments are worth pursuing. Ministry is happening, connections are being made, a life abiding in Christ is taking place. I get to see young people commit their lives to the gospel every day. And that is something worth being a little uncomfortable for!
I recall back to the sermon series we just finished up. The sermon series played out like this:
Week 1 – Embracing the Uncomfortable Church (I preached this one)
Week 2 – The Uncomfortable Cross (Chase)
Week 3 – The Uncomfortable People (Kraig)
We took time to explore the differences among us as individuals, yet we all remain united. This is so important to understand. Recall 1 Cor 12:12 CSB:
12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.[1]
We all are different in many ways and that’s by design! We serve as different parts in the body of believers, better serving our community.
This, of course, is nothing without the cross. The uncomfortable torture device that our God hung upon. It’s an ugly, grotesque, vile tool of death. Yet amidst all the discomfort in our hearts and minds it brings, it also represents the grace poured out for us. Our God lived, died, and arose again for us. Thank you, Lord.
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
John 3:14-21 CSB[2]
We will experience discomfort as we choose to willingly gather. The remedy to such awkward encounters is a heart chasing after the holiness of God!
Let’s flip the script from “what we want” to “What HE is!” Gods’ holiness above my desires!
[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+12%3A12&version=CSB
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+3&version=CSB