Struggling with Comfort

Close your eyes. Picture a scene of tranquility, where your biggest worry is whether the waiter is going to remember the virgin strawberry daiquiri you ordered 10 minutes ago. You are on a beach in the Bahamas, about four miles from the cruise that brought you there. No one is going to hurt you, and everyone wants to help you find your way. The best part is this: since you have been working so hard at the high-paying job you have, your boss has told you to go on vacation, all expenses paid for.

This is the ultimate dream vacation, correct?

Today, when we think about the life and eventual death of Jesus, we usually envision one of two things: the birth of Jesus and the death of Jesus. This is not to discount the years in between, or even to insinuate people do not put much thought into the "middle years" of Jesus, but the most celebrated times were that of Jesus' birth and death.

Specifically, Jesus' death is symbolic of not only our status' as saved souls, but the pain he went through to get there; yet, the latter is not simply a reason to be inspired by the heroism that our Savior characterizes, but also to teach us how to be human.

Luke 9:23 says, "Then [Jesus] said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Jesus was following through with his Father's direction, and Jesus followed them just as we should follow God's direction for us. Matthew 7:21 says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Our mission in this temporary existence is to do the will of the Lord, which is to "deny [yourself] and take up [your] cross daily."

Is it comfortable to deny oneself? Is it in any way enjoyable to take up the symbolic cross? Jesus was brutally beaten, mocked, humiliated, spit upon, and physically destroyed by the stubborn and vile hearts of the sinners. It seemed as though sin had conquered God's son. Now, Jesus commands us to carry our cross like he did?

Well, it might not sound comforting to be mocked and humiliated both physically and emotionally, but here is comforting news, and it comes in a parable:

Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field" (Matthew 13:44 NIV).

Using this parable, Jesus puts the kingdom of heaven in terms that humans can relate to. When it comes to some of the things we possess, we do very similar things like the man in the parable. We are willing to be mocked for the things we love, we claim we would take the bullet for our children, and we spend countless hours on things that matter to us. As a result, we are willing to be put to the test to prove how devoted we are to our possessions.

If we love God and want to serve him, it will show. Our comfort is in him; our hope is to be true to God and nothing else. Our wealth does not matter, our health does not matter, and our possessions do not matter. In the grand scheme of things, we are here on earth to glorify God and allow him to take care of the rest. St. Augustine, from his book Confessions, asserts that "our blessing is to know that [God is] in control." Our security and safety is in the Lord, so wherever he takes us, we can take comfort in the fact that our physical bodies can take any beating it can, only if it does not interfere with our hope in him.

Take comfort in the Lord, for he is the only treasure that is worth investing in. Once you maintain that treasure, protect it in every circumstance, for it is your lifeline. Fall back on the Lord, and he will "give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4 NIV). You may try to convince yourself that you will find your own desires, but take delight in the Lord, and he will make your real desires known to you.

After all, He made you, and He knows what is best, even if it may seem uncomfortable at first glance.