"There is a mind-set in the prosperous West that we deserve pain-free, trouble-free existence. When life deals us the opposite, we have a right not only to blame somebody or some system and to feel sorry for ourselves, but also to devote most of our time to coping so that we have no time or energy left over for serving others. This mindset gives a trajectory toward life that is almost universal - namely, away from stress and toward comfort and safety and relief."
John Piper, 21 Servants of Sovereign Joy, Crossway, 2018, p. 256
The book from which this quote comes is laden with stories of people who gave up comfort and ease to serve their Savior. In fact, as you look at both biblical accounts and the accounts of men and women who served God throughout history, most all of them had troubles directly related to their faith. Many lost the lives of ones they loved. Many of them lost their own lives. Since Constantine, and even more recently, since our country was founded on the premise of religious freedom, we have enjoyed a freedom from persecution that has become the norm. We have gotten comfortable. And with comfort there often comes apathy. Are apathetic in our faith? Are you so comfortable that your time is spent during hardship dealing with it rather than serving others? Perhaps we need to refocus ourselves and understand the role that pain plays in our development!
