The Danger of Comfort

Have you seen it? Have you seen the change? If you are young you probably haven't noticed anything at all. Everything seems like it has always been. But it's not.

We, as a nation, have grown comfortable. And that is a very bad thing. Comfort is where Satan lives. He thrives on political correctness and fear. We have comfort foods. Why? Comfort foods usually make us fat and desiring comfort all the more.

Being as old as I am, I have seen quite a few things in my lengthy lifetime. I have watched on TV as an American president was assassinated. Then a civil rights leader - a man of peace. I have seen a nation at war and our soldiers spat upon when they returned home from it. And now I am seeing our police officers being murdered in the streets, all because they chose to protect us. Yes, I have seen plenty of lows in this nation, but nothing can compare to the change I have seen in our society.

The line between what is acceptable and what is not has moved. And not in the right direction. We are removing God from everything once held dear and we are replacing Him . . . with ourselves.

Everything these days is all about convenience and comfort. Wouldn't want to offend anyone. Anyone except the silent majority. They don't fight back. We can offend people on the Internet without the inconvenience of facing someone face-to-face. It's so much easier to "pull the plug" on a relationship by un-friending them instead of investing time to repair a damaged relationship.

Our own comfort has taken over where God once reigned and that, I think, is the problem.

The Acts 2 church is a perfect example of what a Christ-centered society could be like.

^"44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." - Acts 2:44-47

Let's break that down.

• All the believers were together
• They had everything in common
• They sold possessions to help others in need
• They met together daily
• They ate together in their homes
• They had glad and sincere hearts
• They praised God
• They enjoyed the favor of all people

Let's look at that. Does our society have all those characteristics today? No. Why not? Well, there are several reasons, but the biggest reasons are 1.) we have taken God out of our schools and the courthouses. 2.) Everything has become "acceptable" out of fear of offending someone. Want to marry a goat? Go ahead. We all just want each other to be happy in whatever they are doing. 3.) We are being given everything to the point of our becoming dependent.

Some might say, look at verse 45. The early church gave to everyone. True, but the key difference are these - they gave to everyone as there was a need. The other factor is they gave willingly. These days our government takes our money and gives to those THEY think have a need . . or a want . . or a desire.

If the church was doing its job there would be no need for a welfare system among believers. We would all take care of ourselves.

We will have a new president in a few months. He has promised to "make America great again". He can try. Maybe He can improve a few things, streamline regulations & tax codes, but the only way we as a nation can be made great again is by turning to God, repenting of our sins, and by making Jesus Lord of our lives . . . not some earthly leader.

Our only hope is Christ.

I will close with a portion of an 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation by our sitting president at that time. What happened to us in the time between then and now?

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union. - Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln's full Thanksgiving Proclamation