Hot enough for you?

What's your comfort zone?

On the issue of heat, I think Washingtonians are wimps. I can say that only because I am one, but I'm trying very hard to not be a wimp this year. Here's the deal. Most of us seem to complain at the rain and cold we have far too often, but then any time the sun comes out and it gets really hot around here (you know, like 80 or something) we complain about that too.

I think most of us would be pretty content if we could control the outside temperature much like we control the inside. And if we were to do that, we'd rarely move it outside of our comfort zone.

Do you remember those old thermostats? They actually had a range written on most of them that said, "Comfort zone." It was the range of temperature that most of us like to keep things in our house or room: not too hot, and not too cool. And honestly, it kind of makes me laugh to think about it.

Because, other than a few times and places, we can't do it. We can't control the temperature of our outside world to be only in our comfort zone. And our comfort zone is usually pretty different from other people around us so even if we were comfortable we'd be making other people uncomfortable. But we still complain about it, and still wish for personal comfort.

I preached on this not too long ago, but when you think about that from a Christian standpoint, it should strike us as even more foolish. You can, at great cost, control your comfort zone in your own house. You really can't control it outside in God's creation, however. And if you call yourself a follower of Christ, you definitely cannot control it at all. Because following Jesus is not meant to be comfortable. Look at the lives of any one of the Disciples from the Bible and you will not see lives of comfort. They were lives of great highs, and deep lows. They were lives of excitement and fun, terror and fear. They were lives on the edge of chaos, not comfort. But, at the end of everything, none of them would have had it any other way. That's the way life is supposed to be. So, this week, I hope the weather pushes you outside of your comfort zone. Because I hope it reminds you that that's where Jesus calls us to live. It's not easy. But following Jesus rarely is. Enjoy the sun. And the Son!

Don't go to church, Be the Church!

Bill