Philippians 4:11 — Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

The chillers weren’t working properly at church today. It was HOT in the choir rehearsal. But we were OK. In His prayer at the end Pastor Todd (our wonderful Choir Director) thanked The Lord for the sweet spirit that prevailed. When I finished feeling a little bit smug I was struck with a thought. It wasn’t an original thought but, “Well of course we were OK with it. What kind of Christians whine about a little extra heat?”
It’s a Twenty-First century phenomenon. Maybe it’s a Twenty-First century Western phenomenon. The church is predominantly comfortable. (It was about now as I thought about this that I started to wriggle … I’m pretty comfortable!)
There is absolutely nothing in the Bible that suggests that comfortable is the natural state of Christians. Remember what Jesus said? “And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58). Then there was Paul himself. Have you read 2 Corinthians 11? Verse 27 has the conclusion, ” in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” He had it rough!
So what am I supposed to do about this? I have to be honest, I’m not sure I know! But I have some ideas.
One of the ideas is about giving. (Myra told me I was going to have more to say about that!) actually, I think C. S. Lewis said it best in “Mere Christianity”:
If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.
Another idea is that comfort isn’t just a physical matter. There are things that make me uncomfortable …
I’m uncomfortable with the world we live in — the commercial and moral climate should sometimes makes me hot — hot with indignation!
I’m uncomfortable with myself. Anyone who’s read these pieces knows that there’s quite a lot I need to work on. I worry, I can be grumpy, I can be too concerned about my position … There’s plenty to be uncomfortable with!
Above all, I’m uncomfortable with the thought that many of the people I know, even many of the people I care about are — at worst — looking forward to a very uncomfortable eternity, or — at best — are not being the most successful Christians they could be.
We can take the heat — but it’s not physical comfort that matters!