Don't Stay Comfortable

Surrender.

I talked a little about it in the last post, but wanted to expound more.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. — Luke 9:23

That’s not comfortable. That’s daily surrender. It costs something. It's not just an action — it’s a death to self that leads to life. I’ve heard so many preachers use the illustration of a person being afraid to surrender to God, scared that he might send him to be a missionary in a remote land. I think this kind of attitude reveals something deeper: 

1. He loves comfort more than Christ.

2. He's not adding to his faith or growing in the Lord.

3. He wants a way out of God’s will if it doesn't align with his plans.

But what is God’s will? That all should be saved (2 Peter 3:9). And how will people come to know the Lord? Through other Christians — through us — boldly sharing God’s Word.

So when someone says, “I’m not called to be a missionary,” it often reflects a broader hesitancy to witness at all — whether that’s at work, in a neighborhood, or even in a casual conversation. A person can say he's not “called,” but sometimes that’s just a cover for clinging to comfort. Growth requires change, and change requires discomfort. It requires consistent hard work. And many people are lazy. 

It means letting go of control, comfort, and often things we enjoy (even if they’re harmful).

It means trusting what we can’t yet see — and that’s uncomfortable. But that's faith. 

Faith is not just belief — it always takes us out of our comfort zone.

For many Christians, it's easier to stay in familiar patterns than to confront the discomfort of real transformation. That’s why people say “Jesus is Lord” but don’t live like it — because full surrender shakes up the life they’ve carefully built.  

A friend recently told me about a guy she was talking to. He casually and easily admitted he struggles with the sin of pornography and told her it’s normal 😲for Christian guys. He even told her he thinks she's expecting someone that he cannot and will not be (because she doesn't not want this sin in a potential partner's life). Honestly, I was shocked. And horrified. Here's this "Christian" who is not at all in the will of God. He's not surrendered, separated, or submitted to God nor is being sanctified by the Word. And on top of it all, he tried to "normalize" sin.  How sickening. 

Sadly, this is what many guys of this generation are becoming. They're content to sit in their comfortable sin zone, not bothering to change or even trying. And somehow, they expect a strong Christian, growing woman will marry them. It's unbelievable. And when a woman says no, they're immediately tagged as having "too high expectations." Since when did following God's will and being on the interstate (so that you can get off the exit when God says to) become too high of an expectation? It's just living holily, which is what God commands from EVERY believer. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, " But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." 

This isn’t a post against men. The point is that Christians are wayyyy too content living in sin because they’re too comfortable to change. They check church off the list on Sundays, act one way in public, live another in private, and attend churches with no fire, no passion, and no pursuit of holiness. God is not looking for part-time Christians. He demands us to be holy.

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. – 1 Peter 1:15–16

If you feel no fire for God, no desire to grow, no passion for his Word or his will, beg God to revive your heart. If you're not adding to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity, then friend, fall on your face before God and ask him to forgive you for spiritual stagnancy.

It takes consistent discipline to grow. It takes dying to sin. Yes, it's hard. But when you begin to live holily, read and apply the Word daily, repent quickly, and stay in step with the Spirit, you become like a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth fruit. 

I heard a true story about a chief in a secluded tribe who had a dream of a man with a book, though he never saw the man’s face. That dream gripped him, and he asked every outsider who visited about the book.

Meanwhile, a young believer in another country was walking the streets, praying for God to show him his will. He had surrendered completely. God touched his heart for that exact country (where the chief was) and this man packed up immediately and watched as God opened up every door and provided for him to get to that village. When he arrived, the chief eagerly asked, “Did you bring the book?” The man had brought the Word of Life and the chief and nearly the entire tribe accepted Christ.

This man inspires me because he refused to stay comfortable and look how God used him. Not everyone is called to leave their home country, but everyone is called to share the gospel, to live holy, to live surrendered, to live separated. People all around us are searching for God. They may say things like:

“I’ve accomplished a lot, but I feel empty.” “I don’t know my purpose.”  “I have no peace.”

“I’m scared of dying.”

Those are cries for help — for hope. Will you and I have the courage to respond? Will you and I get out of our comfort zones to tell them about Jesus? Are you and I living surrendered?

Let’s not stay stagnant.

Let’s not stay comfortable.

Let’s be vessels God can use because souls are at stake. 

Click here to listen to this song, Live For You Today if it doesn't load on the blog. 

I love the classic hymn, I Surrender All. 

All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give. 

I will ever love and trust him, in his presence daily live. 

All to Jesus I surrender, make me, Savior, wholly thine. 

Let me feel thy Holy Spirit, truly know that thou art mine. 

All to Jesus I surrender Lord, I give myself to thee.

Fill me with thy love and power, let thy blessing fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all. 

All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

2 Corinthians 5:15

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.