My Comfort vs. Your Comfort.
Thanks for joining the Need-Hope.com podcast. In this episode, we will talk about My Comfort vs. Your Comfort. You will hear about an incident involving my husband where I chose me over him. Is that a problem? You can listen to this podcast episode by clicking: My Comfort vs. Your Comfort
Welcome My Friend to Need Hope.
I’m Chris Gray. And I’m so glad you’re here.
Where do you find hope?
In a moment, you will hear about an incident involving my husband where I chose me over him. Is that a problem? Stay tuned.
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First, let’s listen to God’s Word. Philippians 2:3-4. I pray God speaks to our hearts.
“ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
The story begins with me relaxing comfortably on a lovely chaise lounge. The lounge was given to us by our friends Laura and Steve. Typically, I hang out there with my dog Dory, who rests against my leg or at my feet. I enjoy working on Bible studies, talking to folks on the phone, or eating my breakfast. I just feel so blessed by God to enjoy these many activities on this lovely lounge.
One day in February, we happened to get a massive winter storm in Dallas. Temperatures fell below freezing and stayed there. Makes a person appreciate God’s provision of a warm house and warm clothes.
With all that in mind, my husband decided to make a quick grocery trip to pick up some food. We knew we’d be hunkering down for several days with warnings of snow and ice.
When he arrived home, our dog Dory jumped off the chaise lounge to greet him. She ran to the back door and through her doggie door to say hi. I, on the other hand, stayed comfortably reclined on the chaise lounge. I can’t even tell you what I was doing, so there was no reason I couldn’t get up to help him. Yet I chose to continue lounging, watching him through the den windows as he approached the locked door holding bags of food for us to eat later.
It was bitter cold outside, so he had to be freezing. To get his keys from his pocket to unlock the back door, he had to use his teeth to remove a glove from his already cold hand and dig through his thick jacket to find them. Meanwhile, I sat there, watching him struggle, enjoying the warmth inside even though I was only 15 feet away.
At first, I thought, It’s no big deal. He didn’t say anything or ask for help. I’m sure Dory would have unlocked that door if she had hands and was tall enough.
Well, a bit later that night, the Lord kindly showed me my unloving, inconsiderate, me-first attitude. You may have jumped up and unlocked that door for your spouse. But friend, what about when someone needs help and you’d rather ignore them to do something that better interests you?
This is the me-first nature we are all born with and continue to operate in until the Lord gives us a new nature. You may ask, how do I get this new nature, the one controlled by God’s love?
It starts first with acknowledging this self-focused nature as an enemy to God refusing to come under His authority and love. We confess and repent from this sin against God by turning to Jesus in faith. We trust that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment we all deserve for our countless unloving thoughts, words, and action. This punishment includes deserving hell after we die. Jesus was buried and rose from the grave. He gives those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior a new nature, one where God’s love has been poured into our hearts. Now we have access to God’s enabling power to say no to being controlled by a self-focused life. And we can enjoy a loving relationship with God and others now and forever in heaven.
Friend, where are you at in your relationship with the Lord Jesus?
Have you begun a relationship with Him, or have you walked away from Jesus?
Are you trying to ignore how you have unloving or selfishly treated someone with a me-first attitude?
I hope you won’t reject God’s love. I hope you will turn to Jesus, who considered us before Himself. Call upon Jesus today for rescue. If you want more information on how to be in a growing relationship with Jesus, our website is Need-Hope.com
As I mentioned, the Lord convicted me of the unloving behavior wrapped up in me, myself, and my comfort. I confessed to God my unloving actions as I thought about how Jesus died on the cross so I can be forgiven and rose from the grave. Then I confessed my unloving actions to my husband, asked forgiveness, and received forgiveness. Praise the Lord!
Friend, I ask you, who are followers of Jesus, can you identify with me? Have you recently chosen your personal comfort over being loving towards someone? Have you confessed and asked forgiveness for any unloving actions towards God and others?
Let me pray for us:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving us first while we were your enemies, living life how we felt is best for us. We are all responsible for sending Jesus to die on the cross. Jesus willingly laid his life down, taking the punishment for our sin, and He rose from the dead. Thank You that whoever repents and wholeheartedly trusts in the Lord Jesus as Savior can be forgiven and have peace with You. Thanks for enabling us to deny our self-focused life so we can be Your disciples following You. Instead of a “me first” life controlled by feelings and emotions, we can victoriously live in a “You first” Lord and others before ourselves way of life. Please show us any unloving actions we can confess to You and others so Your love will control us. All for Your glory. In the matchless Name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
Until next time, Look to Jesus.
And look to God’s Word for guaranteed hope.
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Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.