2 Corinthians 1

I've been really convicted in the last few months about how comfortable we are. I mean not just my family, but our whole nation seems to have an entitlement mentality about comfort and convenience. When I walked out of the grocery store pushing a huge cart of a fantastic variety of food for my family it struck me what an incredible luxury that is. My first thought at the check-out was, "Shoot. I'm going to have to raise our grocery budget because I just can't seem to get through a week on the same amount as a year ago." But really, the convenience of many of the foods I buy: juice already squeezed and frozen on a tube, meat already ground and I never saw the dead animal or any other unsavory part, milk pasteurized and in a container (and I got the option of picking organic), produce we couldn't possibly grow here even if it was the right season, bread already baked, cereal ready to eat, every single item made quick and simple to prepare from the comfort of my own kitchen (with all the appliances I need to it without starting a fire or hauling ice or anything). Even people I know who are really struggling with a disease have doctors and hospitals and medications and all kinds of things designed to keep up comfortable.

Now I don't feel guilty about any of these things. But what I feel convicted about is not constantly giving thanks to God for the marvelous comfort He has provided. However, I think that in many ways, our comfort is not a path closer to God, but one leading away from Him. This chapter says God should be the source of our comfort and our hope should rest in Him alone. These comforts that come from our culture and materialistic economy are generally a distraction from that kind of close intimacy with God. As a matter of fact, in the second paragraph Paul says it was during such severe persecution he thought he was going to die that he was actually brought closer to God.

Think about this. When are you conscious of your need for air? Not when you're breathing comfortably. Until I mentioned it you were totally unaware of the air that is sustaining you right now. Your lungs draw it in unconsciously and your body processes it without any attention at all from you. But you desperately need it to survive. If your room filled with smoke or you were held underwater, you would be unable to think of little else.

For our spirits, made in His image, we desperately need the power and presence of His Spirit flowing in and through us for survival. He is the God of all comfort. For us to be constantly conscious and grateful for His breath that sustains us I think it's good to be held underwater every once in a while. I think it's possible to become so obsessed with God to be more constantly conscious of Him but typically, the path to get there involves a lot more hardships than most of us are eager to face.