Why do we think that life should be comfortable and entertaining? We go to school/university in order to get a job that we enjoy so that we can have enough money to be comfortable and entertained so that we can retire comfortably (i.e., stop being productive) and entertain ourselves.
It seems that most people (the culture in the USA) is built around comfort and entertainment. But this is not a Christian attitude. When one works through the New Testament and hears the words of the saints throughout church history, we do not hear a promotion of comfort and entertainment. In fact, we hear the opposite. Our lives should be formed in a way that our first thought should be how to love God and love neighbor.
Would we consider giving up our comfort if we could use our time, money and energy to provide for the needs of others? Would we lower our standard of living so that someone else could actually eat today, so that someone else may have a place to sleep, so that someone else could learn a skill in order to provide for their own needs?
We have become so accustomed to our present way of life that, unfortunately, we cannot even conceive of living with less comfort, so that someone else can simply have their foundational needs met. Think of the story of Jesus and one of his disciples watching people give money at the temple. Jesus praised the old woman who gave out of her need and criticized the rich man who gave out of his abundance. In other words, the giving of the rich man, though objectively a large sum of money, was nothing to him, as he was still fat and comfortable.
This is a topic I am really struggling with and thinking about. How do I live in a way that is consistent with the faith I claim as my own? We should not be idealistic, as it typically fails, but instead, we should be realistic and faithful. We need to understand what the church means, what the church has historically taught and practiced and strive to emulate this.
We cannot allow mediocrity and ease to control and direct our lives.
It seems that most people (the culture in the USA) is built around comfort and entertainment. But this is not a Christian attitude. When one works through the New Testament and hears the words of the saints throughout church history, we do not hear a promotion of comfort and entertainment. In fact, we hear the opposite. Our lives should be formed in a way that our first thought should be how to love God and love neighbor.
Would we consider giving up our comfort if we could use our time, money and energy to provide for the needs of others? Would we lower our standard of living so that someone else could actually eat today, so that someone else may have a place to sleep, so that someone else could learn a skill in order to provide for their own needs?
We have become so accustomed to our present way of life that, unfortunately, we cannot even conceive of living with less comfort, so that someone else can simply have their foundational needs met. Think of the story of Jesus and one of his disciples watching people give money at the temple. Jesus praised the old woman who gave out of her need and criticized the rich man who gave out of his abundance. In other words, the giving of the rich man, though objectively a large sum of money, was nothing to him, as he was still fat and comfortable.
This is a topic I am really struggling with and thinking about. How do I live in a way that is consistent with the faith I claim as my own? We should not be idealistic, as it typically fails, but instead, we should be realistic and faithful. We need to understand what the church means, what the church has historically taught and practiced and strive to emulate this.
We cannot allow mediocrity and ease to control and direct our lives.
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