We don’t really like to be uncomfortable, do we? And I suppose it depends on the type of ‘uncomfort’ we might be going through. There’s the uncomfort of eating too much, there’s the uncomfort of having sunburn, there’s the uncomfort of not knowing the answer in class when the professor looks at you. The list is endless; there are multiple kinds of uncomfort in our lives. And many times, we don’t like to be uncomfortable. There are, however, good kinds of ‘uncomfort’. What do I mean?
Well it’s not so much saying that we like to be uncomfortable, but what comes out of those uncomfortable situations in our lives is what’s good. A while back, one of my friends from high school had posted on Facebook about missing the chaotic times in his life. Except it wasn’t the chaos he missed, but the light that God showed him in those chaotic times. He had mentioned in his post how he didn’t want to come to a place in his life where he was completely content and comfortable because he enjoyed seeing God working in his uncomfortableness and in his struggles (I’m paraphrasing here because it’s been a while since he posted these thoughts). But this all stuck with me. I thought on those words and what he had said.
What does it mean to be uncomfortable? I mean, we like being comfortable. We like knowing what will happen, when it’s a good happening, and we like having control of our lives, don’t we?
More of late, I’ve been getting to the point where I don’t want to have control. I don’t want to have control because I mess up all the time. I make mistakes and I take the wrong turn. If I had complete control of my life, I’d be in a ditch—wouldn’t we all? I’m sure you’ve heard the Carrie Underwood song, “Jesus Take the Wheel.” But that’s true, isn’t it? I want Jesus to take the wheel of my life. I want Him to be the cartographer to my life. I want God in everything I do. Because He is glorious and brilliant. And because He knows what He’s doing. And that’s where being uncomfortable comes in. God will not always let us rest in comfort. But you need to know that that is okay. In fact, that is perfectly all right. If we rested in our comfort, many things would not happen. For one thing, we ourselves would not be fulfilling the Great Commission, God would just use someone else and why would you not want to be a part of that? If we wanted to rest in our comfort all the time, we would not make new friends, we would not make new memories, and we would not learn new things that ultimately bring us closer to Him and help other people see Him.
I remember when I had first read my friend’s post, thinking he had a good point. And the more time that passes, I see how true his words really are. We are not meant to rest in comfort. It is okay to go out and be uncomfortable. Because when you do, you will see God’s light in those moments of weakness and discomfort. But how do you discern what is the uncomfort God is leading you toward and the uncomfort society is leading you toward? I think this goes without saying, but I’ll say it nonetheless: you’ll know. There is a mighty difference with what God wants you to do and what society wants you to do. And that’s also where reading the Bible plays such a huge role in our lives. When you’re in the Word and listening to the Voice of Truth, you will be able to better discern when the enemy is lying to you.
It takes time, but you will know your worth when you’re resting in the comfort of God. And that’s one of my favorite parts from my friend’s post (again, paraphrasing here): God knows you’ll have unpleasantries in life, and that’s why He gives you the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
