Uncomfortable Staying at Home?

How comfortable are you staying at home these days? For some this is a piece of cake for others, they are starting to go stir crazy. Be thankful you have a home in which to go a little stir crazy. But it’s ok to be uncomfortable. You don’t have to like it. You can choose to accept it or not, but accepting it will make things easier.

Paul, I imagine, was a little uncomfortable in prison. He is often pictured in chains sitting on a dirt floor, perhaps covered in some straw for some cushioning. I imagine being surrounded by the cold, hard stone cell is not comforting. Maybe it was a welcomed cold in the heat or an uncomfortable cold. It couldn’t have smelled good with the other prisoners and I’m pretty sure the food wasn’t from a five star restaurant.

Paul wrote to the Philippians whilst in prison. Philippians 1:13 “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” (NIV) What’s ironic, is the book of Philippians is a thank you letter. Doesn’t one need to be slightly happy about something to be thankful? Happiness and being thankful are choices. Paul not only chose to be thankful, he chose to learn to be content.

Think for a moment about ALL that you have. Look around you. Look outside. If you are reading this in the comfort of you your home, be thankful. There are some right now, they have no home. There are some at home living still in difficult maybe dangerous situations. How does one learn contentment in that? Let’s address those who don’t feel safe at home. I want to be sensitive to that. If you feel your life is in danger where you are, physically, reach out to someone, local authorities, a shelter, a church. God will make a way.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances.

Philippians 4:11

How does one learn contentment? Be thankful. “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) Now the verse says IN ALL things, not necessarily FOR all things. The prison walls became Paul’s comfort zone in a sense. This is where he prayed and wrote letters to the churches. Prison walls, prison guards and chains didn’t stop Paul from sharing the Gospel. Being able to share the Gospel from prison walls, brought Paul joy! Being joyful in difficult circumstances doesn’t discredit the grief and pain, but it give us HOPE. The Gospel brings us hope. If it wasn’t for Jesus we wouldn’t have the Gospel.

Jesus was uncomfortable on the cross. A fate He was willing to accept. For us. It still was hard accepting the whips, the beatings, the spitting, the betrayals, being forsaken, but it was because He loves us. We grow spiritually and emotionally, we become more creative, and learn contentment. So we stay at home as hard and uncomfortable as it can be for some because we love our families, friends and our neighbors.

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Photo by Keith Luke on Unsplash

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