“Let’s leave the luxuries of home behind, pack our bags and go camping!!!” These are words that I have never uttered nor will I probably ever do so (smiles). I appreciate the outdoors, but I’m not big on creepy bugs or sneaky snakes. On top of that, I have a funny suspicion that a bear or a pack of wolves might “stumble upon” me in the middle of the night, so I would probably find it hard to sleep. I’m a “city man”. “The Great Outdoors” is a great place to visit, but I won’t be setting up camp there. I would feel out of place…uncomfortable…awkward. It would never feel like “home”.
I must also remind myself that I am not “home” in this world. I’m just a visitor camping out for a short part of eternity. I was not created to be “comfortable” with my current state of existence nor with the dominant messages within the world’s culture. My life’s mission is not to amass as many material possessions or as much worldly esteem as possible. That would leave my life both empty and meaningless. Too many have already compromised their souls, their families, their marriages, etc. in their relentless pursuit of wealth, power and fame.
We can’t get cozy with thoughts, images and actions that are in direct conflict with righteousness, truth and love. God put in us “uneasiness” about life, a desire to make a difference, a desire to complete a mission. In order to complete our mission, we can’t get caught up in the initiatives of the world at the expense of our souls and to the detriment of one day hearing “mission complete”.
Comfort can be the enemy of action. When we are comfortable, we accept things as they are and we are not moved to act. When we are too comfortable, we tend to be self-centered and are not compelled to commit action with compassion. As children of the Most High, we must recognize that in a world where so many people are not comfortable in their life situations (jobs, marriages, relationships etc.), our “comfort/coziness” makes us numb to the struggles of others and actually pushes them away from pursuing a relationship with God.
In my experience, what attracts people to God as the best option is the love that they have experienced from Him through His Children. This Love is a Love that is identified by our actions.
Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives. 1 Peter 2:11-12 (The Message Bible)
Take a look at your life. Are you so entrenched in the world that you have made the “ways of the world” your home? Are you so comfortable that you are not pursuing your purpose? Does your life reflect Love of God in how you actively participate in the lives of those who are hurting and feel rejected?
If you have “made yourself at home” on the campgrounds of ungodliness and selfishness, it is time to decamp. Pack up and relocate to an area that God directs you to so that your life can be an instrument that He can use to enhance the Kingdom. Ask Him to lead you as you take inventory and make decisions about who and what you should take along with you for the journey.
Are you ready to go camping?
B
