Are You Ready to be Uncomfortable?

Matthew 1:18b–20a (ESV)

When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit….

Do you understand what a “comfort zone” is?  That’s when you are in situations that are normal for you… where nothing happens that you don’t expect or can’t handle easily.  I’m in my comfort zone when I am preaching a sermon.  Johanna our music director is in her comfort zone when she is playing the organ. Most of us like being in our “comfort zone.” That’\s where life is predictable.  That’s where life is easiest.   

Joseph was in his comfort zone.  He was living in Nazareth.  He had grown up there.   He had a job that he was good at.  His marriage to young Mary was all arranged.  Everything was great.  That all changed.  His “bride to be” came to him with the news that she was pregnant.  “But don’t worry Joseph, I haven’t been unfaithful.  I am still a virgin.  The child is God’s.”  How’s that for uncomfortable?  Not only was his fiancée pregnant, she was crazy.  Joseph, however, wasn’t going to be pushed out of his comfort zone so easily.  He had this figured out. He could handle this.  Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly…”    That way her reputation and his could be protected.  He could stay in his comfort zone!  Boy was he wrong.  His discomfort was only beginning.  As he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit….  Mary was telling the truth.  The Lord wanted him to marry her.  That was going to be very uncomfortable.   People weren’t going to believe the story about her pregnancy any more than he had.  The rest of his life he would have to live with what people said about him, Mary and their “illegitimate child.”   He would soon have to take Mary with him to Bethlehem, in the last days of her pregnancy.  There he would be powerless to take care of her.  He wouldn’t be able to find her a decent place for giving birth.  When Herod came to kill the baby, he wouldn’t be able to protect her.  Joseph and his young family would be forced to run away to Egypt.  He was suddenly thrust into all sorts of uncomfortable situations he couldn’t possibly handle on his own. 

That’s what happens whenever God begins to work in your life.  Following Jesus is going to force you out of your comfort zone. He puts us in situations where that we can’t handle… situations where we have to trust in Him, not ourselves. Taking your faith seriously will often make your life uncomfortable.  I can guarantee that your Lord will begin confronting you with thoughts, beliefs, activities in your life that are just flat out wrong… that have to change.  Joseph had to give up his plan to divorce Mary.  There are other examples.  Friends will think you have become a fanatic.  People will think you are crazy – crazy to believe in a virgin birth, in creation, in man rising from the dead and so forth.   You are going to feel uncomfortable saying no when your friends invite you to do something you believe is wrong.   People you love, will say things… they will post things on Facebook that you vehemently disagree with.  It’s going to be hard to hold your tongue and not argue.  It’s going to be downright uncomfortable to go on loving people who make you angry.  That’s what Jesus wants you to do.  He wants you to care more about them then whether or not you win an argument.  There will hard days, tragic days… days of illness or death.  On those days you are going to wonder, “God where are you?” On such days, worry and fear are going to seem a lot more comfortable to you than faith and trust.  Are you ready to be uncomfortable?

Why would God do this?  Because in our comfort zones we are living a lie, a false comfort that we can handle things on our own.  But, in fact, we can’t.  So God calls us out our comfort zone into His… into the place where the only thing we have to rely on is Him and His promises.  That’s what He offered Joseph.   “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”   That’s what He offers us as well – His promises.  And they are more than enough.  They offer real comfort because they are true.  He keeps His promises.  He does what He says.  The proof is Mary’s little child.  Here is Immanuel – God with us in flesh and blood.  Here is Jesus to save us from ours sin.  This is how far God is willing to go to keep His promises – He gave up His own son!  Jesus gave up His own life on the cross.  He became more than uncomfortable so that you and I might have the real comfort that He alone can give.  There is a modern parable about faith that I love.  A man asked his friends if they believed he could push a wheel barrow on a single tight wire across Niagara Falls.  When most believed he couldn’t, he proved them wrong and did it.  Then he asked again.  This time they all said, they believed he could.  Then he asked them, “If you really believe, which of you will get inside the cart and let me push you across?”  That’s discomfort of faith.  You are crawling in God’s wheelbarrow, putting yourself completely in His hands and trusting Him.  The odd thing is – faith may feel very uncomfortable to you and me but it is the only place where true comfort is found – in Him