We need to put others first. God wants us to grow spiritually. Growth occurs when we do things outside of our comfort zone. In other words – it occurs when we stretch ourselves through our actions to the point of being uncomfortable.
You can’t just have good intentions. You have to take action in order to do good. You must practice what you say and believe. Here are two quotes that I think illustrate this point:
“There is no more contemptible type of human character than that of the nerveless sentimentalist and dreamer, who spends his life in a weltering sea of sensibility and emotion, but who never does a manly concrete deed.”
William James, “Habit” from The Principles of Psychology, 1890. Also see the “manvotional” on The Art of Manliness
“The man who is a good man, but who stays at home in his own parlor, is of small use. It is easy enough to be good, if you lead the cloistered life, which is absolutely free from temptation to do evil because there is no chance to do it.”
Theodore Roosevelt, April 3, 1903 Milwaukee
We must practice our good intentions outside of the “holy huddle”, and be in the world – not of it. Jesus illustrated this point in Mark 2:16-17 – ‘When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”’
The Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 also illustrates this point about taking action – In it, two different people (a priest and a Levite) passed by the man who needed help. They did this, even though he was half dead and it was obvious that he needed help, as he had been robbed, beaten and had his clothes stripped away. Finally, a Samaritan saw the man and did not pass, he took action. It would’ve been easier to pass by the man – the priest and Levite were probably busy and had somewhere to be. Or maybe they weren’t sure how to help. In either case, it would have been uncomfortable for them to help. It would’ve required a sacrifice of time, money and effort in order to get him the help he needed. However – being in discomfort is exactly where we all need to be. This is where growth comes from, especially spiritual growth. We need to have faith in God that He will get us through any uncomfortable situation in which we are following His will.
This is exactly what James is talking about when he tells us we have to fight against evil by taking action – it is not enough to have just faith alone. James 4:17 says – ‘If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.’ Fighting evil – knowing what is the right thing to do, but not doing it is sin – it is easier (or more comfortable) to do nothing.
Some examples of sacrificing your own comfort for others
- The person who joins the military, especially during war time
- Helping someone stuck on the side of the road when you are in a rush
- Taking the time to buy a homeless person food, instead of just giving them money when they ask
- Visiting the sick
- This can even be as simple as not taking sides in disagreements, or on an issue for fear of how others will perceive you
There is another benefit to following through on God’s will when we are uncomfortable and unsure of ourselves. It makes us humble. It makes us humble ourselves before God because it requires us to put our faith in Him to get us through the situation. In short, taking action keeps you humble. It is easy to think you can do (or know) everything when you haven’t done anything. Proverbs 3:34 says – ‘He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.’ The proud in this case often have ‘no skin in the game’ and tend to be critical of others from the sidelines. Instead, if you humble yourselves by taking action, especially when it’s uncomfortable, you will grow, gain wisdom and be more forgiving of others. James 4:10 says – ‘Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.’
Like the parable of the Good Samaritan – we need to take action. We can’t advance the cause for Christianity, or help others by faith alone. James 2:17 says – ‘In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’
Jesus, leaving the comfort of heaven, overcame the temptation of worldly comfort. Remember – Jesus was tempted in every way we are, when he was in the flesh. Yet – He yielded His life for the atonement of our sins. He knew what had to be done, and He took action. He did this despite the tremendous cost to His own plans, His own comfort, and most of all – His own worldly life.
By putting us and the whole world ahead of His own comfort, Jesus provided the ultimate example of being humble and living in discomfort.