“Adios Comfort Zone”

I was casually reading thru today’s mass readings, not really looking to be challenged and hoping to be able to just acknowledge the truth and pat myself on the back for having done so well. Well, it seems that the Lord isn’t into “casual pats on the back”. Listen to this.

“Every word of God is tested…add nothing to his words lest he reprove you, and you be exposed as a deceiver.” (ref. Prov. 30) Woe, God does not like tampering with his word. Do I ever adjust the Lord’s word’s in order to feel a bit more comfortable? I remember a preacher’s challenge: you want to know God’s word for you, “go thru your bible and read all the verses you haven’t underlined”. Yikes.  In some ways, we should always be a bit uncomfortable when hearing God’s words. In truth I always need to be challenged by God’s word. 

This past weekend I was on a “Healing Retreat”. As I arrived on the first night part of my soul was whispering, “been there, done that …. I clearly don’t need this retreat like most of these poor wounded souls”. Fortunately by the grace of God, I pretty quickly realized that God had more healing in mind for me. I needed to be there. The meditation for today also challenged me. It reads: “Many of us have been surprised by our call. And yet we knew that…if God is truly calling us, he provides all that we need…. In the parables of the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price the man has to buy the whole field. We can’t say: “I like this but not that. When Jesus called the apostles and they began to follow him, they did not know where they were going… we cannot fulfill  our calling as followers of Jesus without learning to go where we would rather not go; we cannot follow him unless we learn to leave all things behind and accept him as master and guide of our actions. And this requires that we be ready and willing to make any sacrifice and any renunciation, even of life itself. (ref. ”Trusting That the Lord Is Guiding Us”, Sister Mary David Totah, o.s.b., Magnificat: 9-25-24)

So where does this leave us? I think Jesus is kicking our “comfort zone” to the curb. We may cry out, “but Lord I love my comfort zone”. I’m sorry but the comfort zone is going the route of the “Dodo Bird”; adios “Comfort Zone”. We are always being called by the Lord to go where we would rather not go.

But to tell you the truth, the comfort zone was always a phony…it promised peace and comfort and happiness, but it never delivers. Jesus doesn’t promise us comfort, but he promises eternal life. And that is very good news.