Comforting

www.bible.com/72/2co.1.3-4.hcsb

As a Chaplain, this is one of my go to verses, especially when I don’t know what to pray for. Any kind of discomfort is an affliction to someone. So this verse says exactly what needs to be said, God is the God of all comfort in the midst of affliction.

But as I’ve heard many times, our job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

I feel like many take this verse as their life verse because they want to be comfortable all the time. And then they complain when life becomes uncomfortable. I believe some people protest too much when they find their usual comforts not up to par. Their Starbucks isn’t just right. Their server just didn’t smile enough. Their automated car wash missed a spot. They can’t get a decent signal on their cell phone to stream the latest episode. We call these first world problems. I think we’ve become accustomed to having our cake and eating it too. We are the envy of the rest of the world, which is why they are swarming the borders. They see the good life we enjoy and they want it. I’ve never seen an immigrant complain about cell service.

Perhaps we are too comfortable. Perhaps we need the reminders that life is still dangerous, still needs careful attention paid to its boundaries. We can too easily become complacent, because we have become used to comfort.

May I challenge you to probe the edges of your comfort zone? Skip a meal. Walk instead of drive. Go outside. Be thankful for the comforts you have been given. Be aware of the life you have and be grateful for the blessings you have been given today.

God bless you and have thankful day!