2020 has been an uncomfortable year. But it has not been a year without comfort.
Transcript
Today, we are going to take a “Posture of Peace” by leaning on the God of all comfort.
Posture is a short, audible fist bump to remind you, God is with you in everything. Together, we’re going to be emboldened to take a daily posture of perfect peace.
In 2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4 it says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Now, I’ve said it before. We, followers of Jesus Christ, people of the Kingdom of God, we are in this world but we are not of it. Now, we are in it gladly because each and every one of us have been placed here on Earth by our Creator the very breath in my lungs is there by His design and His will and I rejoice in His will and I know you do too. We are not in this world by accident, we’re not in this world for the sake of some grinding mission that sucks the life out of us and keeps us on the edge all the time. No, we are here to be displays of the glory of God. And this calling, this purpose outshines any man-made spotlight or platform and it withstands any man-made or devil-made intimidation or accusation.
Now, some of us will be called to stages into large crowds but all of us are going to be called to real-life spaces. Homes and neighborhoods, and workplaces and classrooms, and that is by no means a lesser calling. That is the calling.
Because it’s in those spaces i believe the most transformative work is done because it’s in those spaces where affliction has its way with people. It’s in those real life spaces where dysfunction and fear and depression and stress and sickness try to hold people captive. But it’s in those real life spaces where the God of all comfort reigns in you and through you.
Now, 2020 has been an uncomfortable year, it’s been a year where most worldly comforts have been stripped away or at least stripped down. But for the people of God, it has not been a year without comfort because we serve
the God of all comfort and He comforts us in all our affliction and the beauty of the Kingdom of God is everything is multiplied so the comfort that we receive from God empowers us to bring comfort to others. And their affliction, the lie is that because life is uncomfortable, we must live without comfort.
The lie is that perhaps, it’s God’s will that we live without comfort, that because life is hard, God must be hard too, He must want it this way. Do not buy the lie that God has left you in this world to scrape by until you make it to heaven. It does not honor Him to disregard. We’re not called to live comfortable lives. We’re people, the Kingdom of God, we’re movers and shakers,
and pioneers and builders and we are light bearers in a world full of darkness. So, no. We’re not going to live comfortable lives by the world standards but we are called to live comforted lives and comforting lives even in the midst of affliction we are in this world gladly on fire and on mission. But we’re not of this world we don’t rise or fall by the schemes of satan, we don’t flinch at his works. It’s not that we’re unaware of them, it’s just that we are so much more aware of the God who we actually belong to.
So if you need comfort today, if you need to be comforted, lean on the God of all comfort. I often lean on Him through worship, music and through scripture. The Psalms are a wonderful place to start, and as you receive comfort you will be empowered to comfort others because we’re in this world gladly. You know I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 2:14 it says, “Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.
The promise of “Perfect Peace” is found in Isaiah 26:3. In Hebrew, it is “shalom, shalom.” Meaning, complete wholeness. Nothing missing, nothing broken. This is who you are in Jesus. Because of Jesus, you are a living testimony of Jesus’s ultimate win. With every step you take today, you’re putting Jesus’s victory on display and satan’s defeat on replay.