Ask anyone and they’ll be able to produce an extensive list of uncomfortable situations they’ve experienced over the course of their life. Individuals have varying perspectives on what comfortable looks like but most everyone agrees that they would rather surround themselves with more comforts rather than fewer.
Society has dedicated themselves to increasing comfort levels worldwide, as people are constantly searching for easier, safer, more dependable lifestyles. If a new product can save a person significant time, it is likely to be wildly successful. Jobs that are flexible and offer steep salaries have been highly coveted because they can facilitate comfortable, predictable living.
American culture in particular is set up to experience as few inconveniences as possible; everyone is trying to limit the struggle and maximize the success. However, we are becoming increasingly aware that success lacks substance without the hardship. It is extremely difficult to find fulfillment when success is achieved without struggle. For many, the absence of hardship is leading to a lack of success, and may be part of the reason that such a high percentage of millennials have expressed a lack of purpose in life and work.
Millennials have clamored for a sense of purpose in their lives. But because many of them have been raised in an environment with so many safety nets, they have had difficulty establishing a connection between success and hardship.
We exist in an age where everything you need is readily available and waiting is a thing of the past. Want a new car? Drive one off the lot without an initial down payment. Want a new phone? Pay it off in monthly installments over several years. Need a meal? Buy a frozen meal that will be ready in a couple minutes or frequent one of the thousands of U.S. restaurants. Don’t have a job? Receive a check from the government. Wreck your car? Don’t worry, the insurance will cover the expenses.
All of these institutions, whether they are good or bad, are furthering a culture of comfort and predictability. They are reprogramming the way that people live and think.
For Christians, the situation has never been more dire. Followers of Christ haven’t avoided the sweeping tide of comfort culture but have embraced the prosperity gospel propagated by people like Joel Osteen, Paula White, and Wayne T. Jackson. The problem with the message endorsed by these false prophets is that it is contradictory to biblical teachings. It is impossible in faith to avoid suffering because God makes it clear that trials are an important part of the Christian walk, (1 Peter 4:12-16, James 1:2-8).
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
- John 16:33
This obsession with comfort and a self operating safety structure is pushing people away from placing their trust in God. Instead of relying on God’s provision the way that Matthew and Paul express in Matthew 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:6-7, Christians are leaning on the Comfort Culture. People are trusting in Christ to forgive them of their sins and give them salvation, but aren’t attributing their comfort with God’s sovereignty. For them, God only needs to be relied upon when problems that fall outside the sprawling web of convenience and insurance come into play.
This mindset defies the example established by Jesus during His time on earth. Christ showed that the main element of his lifestyle was one where he trusted His Father and demonstrated obedience toward Him through His actions, including dying on the cross (John 5:30; 14:30-31). In case Christians have forgotten, we have been called to be “crucified with Christ”.
Sadly, not only is the comfort culture causing Christians to trust in sources other than God, it is also severely crippling the spread of the Gospel.
Comfort seeking often stems from a fear of facing new or uncontrollable situations. It means that disciples of Christ are interacting with fewer people. The comfortable lifestyle is controllable and predictable, so it often eliminates those outside of your regular pool of people. Unless Christians are intentionally engaging their neighbors and starting conversations with strangers in public areas, there are few opportunities for the Gospel to be shared with others.
This result is directly defiant of the mandate Christ gives His disciples in Matthew 28:19.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Christ has called us to do His work, to make disciples by engaging the unsaved around us and trusting our Father to provide for us. The Comfort Culture isn’t going to direct us toward God’s will. This lifestyle will only lead to further separation between God and His sons and daughters.
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