Throughout our lives we absorb stories about God, about ourselves, and about the world. Lent invites us to gently lay some of these stories down. In each post in this Lenten series, Pastor Nate will name one belief that may no longer be serving our faith and explore how Christ reshapes it.

Comfort itself is not the problem. Rest, and safety, and joy are good gifts from God. But over time, if we aren’t careful, comfort can become an idol.   It becomes the thing we always protect and the thing we always expect. something we expect and so when discomfort appears, we assume something must be wrong.

But the story of Jesus reminds us that faith is not always comfortable. The Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness and the path to Jerusalem is marked by misunderstanding and resistance.  The cross itself is the ultimate reminder that faithfulness and ease are not the same thing.

Martin Luther often wrote about how God’s work in our lives is revealed not through constant success or comfort, but through struggle and vulnerability.  And the season of Lent gently challenges the belief that life should always feel smooth. Sometimes the very places that feel uncomfortable are the places where God is shaping us most deeply.

Unlearning the idol of comfort does not mean seeking suffering, rather it means trusting that God is present even when life feels unsettled.

Reflection question:
Where might discomfort in your life be inviting you to trust God more deeply rather than retreat?