In today's society, we are constantly told to do what we want, to chase our dreams, and to do what makes us happy. While I am not saying that those aren't all good things on paper, realistically they aren't what God wants us to do. You see, doing things that make us happy is what I will refer to as being comfortable. We are setting ourselves up for a life of comfort. Imagine this: all of your life, you have dreamed of the perfect life where you find your soul mate, get married, have kids, have a high-paying job, get a house in your dream destination, and you are financially able to throw money at whatever you want. All of your life you have worked towards these dreams and once you get to that place and reach those dreams, you find that you still aren't happy. You start thinking "well maybe if I get a faster car, I will be happy", "maybe if I travel Europe for a month, I'll be happy", "maybe if I acquire a bigger house, I will be happy", or "maybe if I blow all of my money on luxury goods, I will finally be happy". No matter what you do, you are never truly happy. God is the only one who can bring us true happiness and true joy. Sure, it's great not having to worry about finances and getting whatever you need but at a certain point, life has lost it's meaning. That is what a comfortable life is - it's just comfortable, not purposeful or fulfilling.

God doesn't call us to live a life of comfort. Some people have this dream-like interpretation of what the Christian life looks like. They think that when they accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior and lord, everything will be good from then on. They think that nothing bad will happen to them because God is on their side. Then there's the people that are "saved" but only go to God when they think that they need him. They pray in the bad times but forget about God the moment that things start looking up. Both of these point-of-views are wrong. As Christians, we are expected to be in relationship with God during the good times and the bad. We are supposed to pursue Him and aim for intimacy with Him. And one thing that people sometimes don't understand is that the Christian life isn't easy at all. In fact, it's actually really hard. Matthew 16:24 is proof that as Christians, we are to die to ourselves in order to follow Him. That probably sounds really harsh to any non-believers, but it is what we are called to do. We are called to put aside our earthly desires and our sinful ways so that we can follow Christ. We are to deny ourselves and that is not an easy task.

So what exactly does this mean? Well, it means that we no longer get to do "what we want." I put that in quotation marks because what we want before we are saved is earthly things but when we are saved, God gives us a new heart and that new heart has new desires and new wants. That doesn't meant that it's any easier to let go of your previous desires but when you are saved, your main desire becomes serving the Lord and pursuing Him and that is far more fulfilling than any earthly desires could ever be. It also means that you might have to stop chasing your dreams. I know, call me crazy, but it's true. If our dreams don't align with God's plans completely, we have to put them to the side. That being said, you should pray about this first if you think that your dreams may not be leading you where God wants you. Lastly, it means that we won't be participating in the same activities that previously made us happy. Again, our hearts will be made new and our desires will change. With these changes also come changes in what makes us happy. We will never be truly happy if we pursue earthly things as only God can satisfy us and make us whole. So yes we aren't getting to do the things that one would assume make us comfortable, but God changes us and so our desires and dreams change with that.

Now back to the idea of living a comfortable lifestyle. As Christians, we are called to discomfort. We are called to deny our flesh and proclaim the Kingdom. In Matthew 16:24, we are called to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Him. Do you think that this is a call for comfort? Think of Jesus carrying His cross on the Via Dolorosa. That is certainly not a picture of comfort. It is one of toil, pain, and struggle. Jesus left the comfort of His throne and came down so that He could save us. The story of the gospel is not one of comfort, so why do we think that are called to live a life of comfort?

Here is something that is so important to remember: we are at war. The devil and his army are coming for us and will not stop attacking us. Wartime is definitely not a time of comfort. We don't just get to lay around relaxing or doing "what we want". We have to fight. We have to put on the whole armor of God, as described in Ephesians 6:10-20. Also, God calls us to go out and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). In other words, we are to share His word and His love. The mission field also isn't a place of comfort. When you go on mission trips, you typically don't stay in a five-star hotel and you definitely don't get to take advantage of some of the things that we take for granted in a comfortable life (such as long, warm showers, gourmet meals, air conditioning, an abundant amount of clean water, etc.). Another command in scripture is to love others (John 13:34). We are called to be selfless and selflessness is not comfortable. People who live a comfortable life don't put others before themselves. If we are to live the way that God wants us to live, we must be uncomfortable.

You might be wondering why on earth God would call us to be uncomfortable if He loves us so much. But here's the catch: He does this because He loves us. He wants us to experience His power, comfort and joy. The only way that we get to experience these things is by stepping out of our comfort zone. In the midst of our discomfort, God is our comfort. The Christian life, which is full of faith and obedience, is not a comfortable life in the typical sense but rather it is a life which is rich and vibrant. It is filled with the power, presence, and provision of God and if you ask me, that is way better than a life of worldly comfort.