From Comfort To The Calling

To live as a devoted follower of Christ in this world is to walk on the tightrope of life, holding onto a pole to help us stay balanced. On one side of this pole is Truth, on the other side is love. What does the balanced Christian walk look like?

There are different categories of Christians; however, there is only one type of Christian that we should be. Let’s go through five (5) different categories of Christians and see with which type you best identify:

1. Couch Potato
2. Treadmill Runner
3. Chernobyl
4. Track Runner
5. Apostle

“Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.”
(James 1:2-4) -Voice

(1) Couch Potato

In 1Kings 12:25-33, Jeroboam created two new sanctuaries in the northern kingdom, an unlawful priesthood (because they were not Levites), and even two golden idol calves. His actions encouraged idolatry and, as time went by, Israelite worship became more and more degenerate. The ‘mold’ had spread in the house of Israel. Jeroboam set up the sanctuaries in convenient locations so that the people would not travel to Jerusalem. And even though it was wrong, the people went along with it. Why? After much careful contemplation and study, I found that it boiled down to comfort over calling. Comfort can keep us conveniently away from our calling, con us into compromise, contaminate us, corrupt our character, and then confine us in complacency.

To put it simply, Couch Potato Christians are too comfortable. These Christians happily proclaim Jesus as their Savior, but the story ends there. In this category, they typically believe that they can do whatever they want because the blood of Jesus already saved them. They are already saved and forgiven; therefore, they can justify their sinful actions and do as they please (even if their actions are not pleasing to GOD). More or less, they have an attitude that says, “Who cares?”

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
(Romans 6:15) -NKJV

The Couch Potato Christians are so comfortable that they rarely or never concern themselves about the lost or anyone else outside their comfort zones. They are saved. That’s good enough. But… is it good enough?

“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?”
(James 2:19) -NLT

James was concerned with a shallow, insincere, and hypocritical faith that offered no works to prove the faith that others claimed to possess. If the focus is only on yourself, that is selfish and not aligned with the love that GOD has called us to live out.

(2) Treadmill Runner

Through their exhausted efforts, these Treadmill Runner Christians run yet never get anywhere. In this category, they base their eternity on their own efforts (good works). They believe that they are going to do good works and earn their way into Heaven.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9) -NLT

I know that James had said that faith without works is dead and useless; however, faith in your own works is fruitless.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ”
(John 14:6) -NKJV

Jesus came to save us from our fruitless attempts to work our way into Heaven. If you read the last half of Exodus and the entire chapter of Leviticus, you will understand why it was necessary for Jesus to close the gap and be the bridge into salvation. Humans were simply incapable of working their way into Heaven. We make too many mistakes. Therefore, our salvation is earned if we simply accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, repent from all the bad things we’ve ever done, ask for forgiveness, and attempt to always walk in faith in order to be as righteous as humanly possible. We are still called to do good works, but our good deeds are not to be done in order to earn our own salvation. We are called to do good deeds so that the unbelievers will see the reflection of Christ in us, feel the love from our good deeds, and be drawn to Jesus so that they might be saved. Our good deeds are for others, not for ourselves.

The Treadmill Runner category – if left unchecked – will grow into the third category, Chernobyl.

(3) Chernobyl

This category would be like a tropical storm growing into a hurricane. The Chernobyl Christians are like The Pharisees. The mutated forms of the Treadmill Runners (who base their salvation on works) are pompous and pious. I call them the Chernobyl Christians because they are like a nuclear meltdown that forces people to evacuate their immediate area. Instead of drawing people closer to GOD, they end up pushing them away. Their arrogance often condemns others to Hell simply because others are [seemingly] not as righteous as they are or don’t have scriptures memorized like they do. And they will let you know it – it is often seen when they ‘peacock’ as if to say, “Look at how awesome of a Christian I am! I am so much better than you!”

Both the Treadmill Runners and Chernobyl Christians place their focus on themselves rather than Jesus and the love for others. The Chernobyl Christians believe they are awesome and righteous because of what they do or do not do. This category of Christian looks down on others as if they aren’t good enough.  They often judge others. But we should never look down upon anyone unless we are there to help lift that person up.

“Pity can be nearsighted and condescending; shared suffering can be dignifying and life-changing.”
(Eugene H. Peterson)

We need to put ourselves in others’ shoes. We should never judge others’ eternal destination even if we are to remind them of GOD’s absolute moral standard. Jesus Himself even said He wasn’t there to judge the world at that time, but to save the world (John 3:17). We need to do the same; in fact, Jesus told us that we are called to do only three things: love GOD, love others (Matthew 22:36-40), and share the Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20).

“You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.”
(John 8:15-16) -NLT

If Jesus didn’t judge, we are certainly not called to judge where others will end up in eternity. So, we should never condemn anyone to Hell – that’s not GOD’s will (1:Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9). It is true, however, that we are called to point out what is wrong, but we are called to point out what is wrong in a loving manner (Ephesians 4:15; 1Peter 3:15-16). We are called to keep each other in check so that we do not get puffed up with pride and become a Chernobyl Christian.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
(Proverbs 27:17) -NIRV

We are not to beat people over the head with our Bible. The word of GOD is a sword, but it’s not used to cut people down. GOD’s Word is a sword that should be used to cut people free from the slavery of sin. And the best way to love others is to understand where they are coming from, to understand their worldviews. We should meet people where they are so that we can then bring them to the awesome place we know.

(4) Track Runner 

“You’ve wandered around this mountain long enough. Turn north.”
(Deuteronomy 2:3) -Voice

This category of Christians goes ’round and ’round. Much like the Israelites who wandered for 40 years after leaving Egypt, these Christians fall into meaningless routines of pious performances and the rigmarole of religious rituals. Church on Sunday, existence without purpose throughout the rest of the week; repeat; repeat, repeat, etc. This category allows themselves to get too comfortable yet again and they forget that they need to travel with purpose. Sadly, this seems to be the majority of all Christians. It seems that far too many Christians have settled into the church routine and live a life of religion instead of relationship: Sunday service, maybe mid-week service, they don’t share their faith much (if at all), they only pray when they need something, they are content inside their comfort zones, they tithe occasionally (if they feel like it), and they do care about the lost, but they let pastors and missionaries do the hard spiritual work of truly loving others. Don’t be a Blue Cord Bum.

“[14] What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? [17] So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. [19] You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. [20] How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?”
(James 2:14, 17, 19-20) -NLT

Though I used this scripture for the Couch Potato category, I believe it’s necessary to use it again for the Track Runner category. Why? If the Track Runner is not careful, he/she will slide down that slippery slope and end up as the Couch Potato once again. It’s like the old children’s game of Chutes and Ladders. If you’re not constantly climbing up, it is likely that you will be sliding down. Truly, that is why I called this category the Track Runner – a track runner runs in a circle, a cycle. Though they are moving, they keep traveling ‘round and ‘round and they end up where they started every time.

(5) Apostle

This category is determined not to be confined within their comfort zones. This category puts into practice what Jesus taught.

“So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.’ ”
(Mark 10:18) -NKJV [see also, Luke 18:19]

GOD asked Adam and Eve questions in Genesis 9-13; however, GOD already knew the answers. GOD simply wanted to invite Adam and Eve into revelation by having them confess the truth. Likewise, in Mark 10:18, Christ Jesus asked the rich man this question so that the man would understand why he called Jesus good. Jesus knew He was good; Jesus knew He was the second person in the Trinity; Jesus claimed to be GOD. Jesus was good, but we are not — only One is good and that is GOD!

The Apostle category realizes that only One is good, they are not better than others, and they are willing to love others despite differences. This category will share their testimonies, be honest about their flaws and capabilities, and they are capable of conversations that will not lead to a nuclear meltdown. In this category, Christians do not live in doubt or fear – they are not afraid to get their hands dirty, go where others won’t go, and communicate with those who nobody else wants to be near. This category believes in miracles. The Apostle Christians are willing to make the sacrifices that others are not willing to make. Their goal is to love others, share the good news, and lead people to Christ, and create disciples. They realize that both their faith and actions are important, but understand that people shouldn’t be following them – people are to follow Christ, not Christians. This category of Christians are superheroes.

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
(1Peter 4:8-10) -NLT

Two questions:

1. Which category of Christian do you identify with?
2. Which category of Christian would you like to be?

If the answers to 1 & 2 are not the same, you need to put yourself in a time-out to have some one-on-one with GOD. I know because I’ve been there. I have personally gone through and experienced all five categories. The most embarrassing point in my life is not looking back at the time when I was an atheist; rather, it was during the time when I was a Chernobyl Christian. I got saved and got on fire for Christ; however, my passion to save people led to a desire to be perfect, which caused a nuclear meltdown within myself. Consequently, I drove some people away. It took certain events in life to humble me and help me realize that I could never be a perfect Christian because it’s impossible to be perfect (Romans 3:23). And that’s okay. It is possible, however, to minister through mistakes as long as we confess, repent, and progress forward.

Walking With Balance:

We must know Truth:
“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”
(2Corinthians 10:3-5) -NLT

We must speak Truth out from love:
“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”
(Ephesians 4:15) -NLT

We must remember that people are not our enemies:
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
(Ephesians 6:12) -NLT

Because people are not enemies, we speak Truth out from love:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
(1Peter 3:15-17) -NIV

Summary

Don’t be a Couch Potato Christian. Being satisfied with your own salvation doesn’t do anything for others. Keeping the good news to yourself is stingy and selfish. If you’re ‘running’ on the treadmill, it’s time to go running outside in the real world. Go ‘run’ in places you’ve never been and help people you’ve never known before. Don’t be a Chernobyl Christian and make unbelievers run away from you. You’re not better than others because you know Jesus is the Savior. Go help someone else get to know Jesus. People are not our enemies. If you spend your time calling people sinners and telling them they are going to Hell, what do you think they will continue doing? Where do you believe they will go? After all, you’re speaking it into their lives! Words are powerful. Speak life into them! If you’re ‘running’ on the track, try running in the field – the mission field! Instead of running in circles around the same place you already know, try branching out into different activities. Perhaps you can join a small group or even start one. Don’t reduce the glorious Christian walk into a redundant activity that needs to be tolerated. Let’s all come together to accomplish the Great Commission. Let’s love GOD, love others, go make disciples, and help our disciples to make disciples. Let’s go where no one else wants to go, do what no one else wants to do, and love the people no one else wants to love. Let’s be the salt and light of this Earth and send people to the Savior.

Challenge:

Identify your comfort zone. Once you’ve identified your comfort zone, write the following on a piece of paper: “You’re now entering the mission field…” Once you’ve written that on paper, post it on the doorway of your comfort zone. This sign should serve as a reminder that as long as you are in your comfort zone and seeing that sign, you’re not engaged in the spiritual warfare and you’re not in the battlefield. You’re not a superhero if you’re in your hideout. Batman doesn’t stay in his Batcave. Understandably, sometimes we need rest. Take rest when you need it. But then get back in the game! Don’t be a caveman; be a conqueror!