Complacency

Much of what the preacher at one of my old churches said used to simply go in one ear and out the other. What can I say: I have a very short attention span! I still remember one sermon, though, and I am often reminded of it at the most inopportune (read: necessary) times. The teaching was regarding how dangerous being comfortable and complacent can become for a Christian and I can't agree more. I have the type of personality that I just love being comfortable. There's nothing better for me than lounging on the couch in an air conditioned room, book in hand and Dr. Pepper to the side. Now there might be nothing wrong with that, at least until I gain a few hundred pounds and have a TLC feature made about me, except I tend to do similar things with my faith. I am so quick to suppress the Spirit and feel nice and comfy cozy in my sin. I wrap it around me, make room for it on the couch beside me, and turn up the volume on the television so I can't hear God pointing out my sin. In fact, I think that being comfortable is probably one of my greatest areas of weakness as a Christian. Working hard is...hard. It's difficult and exhausting and half the time the changes that God is calling me to make I just don't want to make. Sometimes Head Molly sounds just like a petulant toddler as she throws fits, screaming "NO NO NO I don't wanna!" (Head Molly differs from real Molly in that I don't actually throw fits...I only allow the Molly in my head to do that...and yes, I refer to her in the third person. We are separate entities. And yes, I worked all day, so I'm writing this primarily out of exhaustion).  Back to the point, though, I like being comfortable. And being a Christian is often the exact opposite. Being a Christian means stepping outside of your comfort zone and making the changes that are hard and uncomfortable because we love God more than we love ourselves and our sin.

I highly recommend this video. I was introduced to this shortly after I became a Believer and it still makes me cry every time I watch it. I identify with the conflict so clearly. I want to be chiseled, but I don't want the pain that that involves. And even though I resist, my God keeps going. He keeps chiseling because He loves me that much that even though I get comfortable in my sin, He keeps pointing it out because He wants to chisel me into the person that reflects Him. It's hard for me to be uncomfortable and then willingly step up to the plate for more, but I'm getting there.

For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. -Ephesians 2:10. We are God's masterpiece. How incredible is that?