A COMFORTABLE DISCOMFORT?

Hey Christ follower, raise your hand if you enjoy uncomfortable circumstances! As much as believers may not like or understand it, the best opportunity to grow your relationship with God is perhaps at its greatest when things get uncomfortable. Want proof? Just look at the life of Jesus.

Matthew 4:1-10: "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God." Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw Yourself down." For it is written, "He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him, "It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "If You will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only."

The focus of the text is centered on Satan's temptations of Jesus. However, don't miss verses 1-2 (before Satan's temptations) in order to breathe in the full context. Get this. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be

tempted after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights!

Talk about an uncomfortable situation!

For the rest of the text, Satan hits Jesus with 3 particular temptations: Self-gratification (v3), self-protection (v5-6), and self-exaltation (v8-9). These are the same temptations Satan hits us with as followers of Christ. Satan is not original. He will continually hit us with the same things over and over. Jesus' responses were consistently filled with a complete and unbreakable love for the Father.

Also, note that Satan twists and abuses the Scriptures for his own benefit and motives while Jesus uses them as an extension of His intimate relationship with the Father. As God incarnate, Jesus, the very Word of God, turns an uncomfortable situation into triumph because of His love for the Father. No matter how Satan tempts Him Jesus chooses His relationship with the Father over temporary vapors. Because of Jesus we can choose the same.

So, let me ask you something, believer. How do you respond to uncomfortable situations? Instead of drawing near to the God of all comfort do you push Him away? Don't leave yourself wide open to Satan's attacks. Remember, as a believer this same Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of the living God, dwells within your every fiber! No matter how uncomfortable life gets God sovereignly uses all things to build up your trust IN Him by turning TO Him. The uncomfortable can indeed become comfortable in Christ.