Compassion: 30 Days of HeartworkSample

Killing Our Comfort Zone

HEART //

When we care a whole lot about the THINGS in our lives that we can touch, it often impacts the things we can’t touch (like our intentions, motivations and love). “Stuff” is not bad. The Scripture of the day is clear that loving our stuff is unhealthy; it’s not God’s best for us! Author and church planter Jeff Christopherson puts it well in saying, “Jesus is against whatever we will not leave behind to follow Him.”* How many things do we see around us every day that are screaming, “Buy me! This would make you happy! This would make your life better!” Hearing those messages over and over makes it hard not to begin to believe them. But if our possessions are satisfying us and making us feel “comfortable enough,” they can become dangerous to our souls. When our strong desire for feeling secure or happy drives us to acquire more and more belongings, we are at risk of falling into a trap ... “I need to be happy, so I need more stuff” … and that cycle never ends. God has called us to deny our “self” (Luke 9:23), in other words, to be willing to let go of that strong desire to focus our time, energy, and money on accumulating possessions. 

This week we are practicing the art of letting go by letting go of some things that make us feel comfortable. By letting go of our tight grip on our own conveniences, we can empathize with those who don’t have the option of worldly comfort, maybe because of extreme poverty, maybe because of illness, or lack of guidance, or injustice. Think of those caught in a cycle of poverty, or a refugee, a prisoner or a neighbor who is very sick. And who knows, letting go of your grip on some things in your life, for just this week, may actually make you more available or eager to hold on tight to God instead! 

* “The Kingdom Matrix: Designing a Church for the Kingdom of God” by Jeff Christopherson (Elevate Publishing, 2012). 

WORK //

To empathize means to put yourself in a position where you’ll have a better understanding of how someone else feels. You feel with them. You heard this in your first Family Night but just in case you missed it ─ to empathize with our brothers and sisters in need, take cold showers for the next few days and pick several nights this week to sleep on the floor instead of your bed. As you do this, think about those around the world who have never had the opportunity to take a warm shower or sleep in a cozy bed. Of course, sleeping on the floor doesn’t change anyone else’s circumstances. But it could likely change YOU. Pray that God would help you not to just feel sorry for others, but to empathize with them and to feel some of the emotions they may feel when they aren’t always comfortable. Ask God (and make notes in your journal today!) for wisdom on the difference between NEEDS and WANTS ─ and why we can get so attached to the extra comforts in our lives.