“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”
Phillipians 4:8
As I meditate on Paul’s words I am struck by the stark contrast of Paul’s exhortations and our own busy world. How can we be expected to dwell on what is true and honorable and right and pure when we have a society that upholds none of these things. Let’s face it as much as we may like to, it’s not always so easy to focus on the important things- especially God. We have pop stars singing about sin, shows glorifying adultery, and social-media lacking value. When entertainment becomes our primary focus rather than God then we are no longer dwelling in God’s Truth.
Currently, there’s a stream of shows I could watch (a distraction) or I could choose to sit down in meditation, growing in my relationship with Christ. I don’t always choose what’s best, unfortunately, but what makes me feel most comfortable. Like most, I crave comfort and hate being uncomfortable.
And therein lies the crux of the problem. Our society is so accustomed to being comfortable that we forget that we are fighting a battle with our flesh that will determine where we will spend eternity. It is for this reason that I believe comfort is one of the great sins of our generation. We grow in sanctity each day of our lives through the moments when we choose to abandon comfort for God’s Glory. It is through these small moments of choice that we receive the greatest grace. When we freely decide to change the channel on that show, read scripture instead of that article, or turn to the Christian station instead top-hits we are being made holy by keeping our focus on Him!
In contemplating the great witnesses of Saints that have come before me, I marvel at their unwavering dedication to follow Christ even if it brought them pain or suffering. Their determination to do even small tasks was marked by their great love for God! So let’s fix our eyes on the Maker of the Universe by putting our phones down, turning off the radio, and abandoning our comfort for the weight of the Cross. Let’s remember the words of our dear Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI: “The World offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness”. I challenge you all today to make yourselves uncomfortable for truth, honor, purity, goodness, and loveliness! You will be made a saint
J+M+J
Joanna Jewell 