Day 3: Comfort

I’m not sure what the male equivalent to taking a bra off is, but that is one kind of relief I will never grow tired of. When I shop for clothes, my number one goal is comfort. Sometimes I’ll make an exception for shoes, but even then I regret not aiming to be comfortable.

There’s many things I find comforting. Curling up on a couch with a blanket and a cup of coffee. Watching my favorite movies that feel like comfort food tastes. Actually eating comfort food (macaroni and cheese, mostly). Hugs from certain people that make me feel so safe in that moment, it feels like nothing bad could ever happen again.

Is it healthy for comfort to be our overall life goal, though? We get degrees or jobs to make enough money to live comfortably, we work hard at work all day so we can come home and be comfortable. We befriend and even date people that make us feel comfortable. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with comfort and taking advantage of it every once and awhile, I think the idea that I should strive for it in all I do keeps me from a close relationship with God for two reasons: my comfort should come from Him and the life He leads me to live is often not one that is comfort-oriented.

When we pray to God, we will find comfort. But if I’m seeking that comfort for myself in the first place, it’s like I’m telling God that I don’t need His comfort. Yet the staggering difference between my self-made comfort and the comfort God can provide is that mine is so very temporary, and His will sustain me through my hopes an fears and trials and downfalls.

Another difference between these comforts is probably the reason I seek my own: it can often be uncomfortable trusting that God’s comfort will provide. Due to His comfort being intangible, I have to trust enough to let go of my ways and allow God’s ways to take control, which He will then eventually provide me with comfort. His ways may not be temporary, but the also aren’t instantaneous.

Despite His comfort not being instantaneous, it is beyond worth it. I have many experiences in my life that prove that waiting for God’s timing is the best wait of your life. It is so worth God wanting us to live outside of our comfort zone, of Him wanting us to spread His love no matter how it interferes with His plans. Following Jesus won’t always be comfortable for His followers, but to provide comfort for others makes it worth the challenge of our hearts.