Thursday, June 1, 2023
We all love comfort! For some it might be under the warmth of cozy covers at bedtime. For others, it’s behind the wheel of a luxurious vehicle. For me, it’s relaxing in my super awesome power recliner with heat and massage. Whatever your comfort zone might be, when you are there, it is difficult to pull away to do anything else. Yes, it is nice to live in our “happy place,” but when you think about it, this comfort often limits our productivity. Yet, when life gets a little rough, where do we head to first … our favorite comfort zone.
God, however, calls us to step out of these places and into a life-changing adventure with him to live a purpose-filled life. While it can be scary to do this, and sometimes even dangerous or fatal, it can be the beginning of a rich and satisfying life found only in Christ (John 10:10).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and a founding member of the Confessing Church, took this to heart. He was also a Nazi dissident who realized what Hitler was saying and doing was very wrong. In 1937, he wrote a book titled The Cost of Discipleship, where he challenged Christians to sacrifice being comfortable to do God’s work. During the Nazi era, he became an important contact for church leaders in the United States and Europe. He did all he could to help save the Jewish people during Hitler’s reign.
In 1939, things in Germany got very heated for Bonhoeffer. His church was closed and his life was in danger, so he fled to New York City. Finally safe and comfortable, Bonhoeffer was not happy. He felt like a hypocrite for preaching to others to sacrifice comfort for God’s work, so he decided to return to Germany. After a failed plot to assassinate Hitler, Bonhoeffer was arrested and placed in a concentration camp in Flossenburg, where he spent the last two years of his life. In 1945, he was executed—just two weeks before the camp was closed and three weeks before Hitler took his own life. Bonhoeffer’s final words were, “This is the end—for me, the beginning of life.”
Interestingly (or coincidentally), this is very similar to Paul’s words:
Philippians 1:21
For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
What does this mean for us? If we are willing to sacrifice our own comfort to live for Christ while here on Earth, then when our time is up, we gain all that he has promised. This truth is exemplified in the song “To Live is Christ” by Sidewalk Prophets. Check it out!
The bottom line: A purposeful life requires sacrifice.
Are you ready and willing to sacrifice your personal comfort?
Questions:
How comfortable are you in your Christian walk?
Are you willing to sacrifice personal comfort when called to do God’s work?
Next Steps:
Explore more about the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Consider reading his book, The Cost of Discipleship.
Pray for God to give you strength to step out of your personal comfort zone for the sake of others.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, it is easy for me to stay hidden in the confines of my own personal comfort zone. I realize that is not where you meant for me to reside. Please give me strength and courage to make whatever sacrifices necessary to my own comfort to help others wherever you lead me. Help me to live my life as an inspiration to others as Bonhoeffer and so many others before me have. I love you and want to give you my all during my time here on Earth. It comforts me to know that dying will be a gain. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Luke 8:15
And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.