Give Me Leg Room and an Armrest Please

I recently took a trip up to Louisville, and the night before I left, Jason (my friend/pastor/boss) asked if he could use my truck. At first, it sounded like a great deal. He would get a truck which would give him the capability to haul the things he needed to haul, and I would get a car and cut my gas costs in half.

However, right when i got on the highway I was paranoid from the bigger vehicles tail-gatting me... I was hugging the right lane, waving people by, and fearing for my life. Then about 45 minutes into the drive I began to get really uncomfortable. I had less leg room than I was used to, I didn't have an armrest, and the driver seat just wasn't that comfortbale.

I quickly realized that I am spoiled by the comfort of my truck. I have leg room, I have a great armrest, I have a big comfortable seat, and I could care less if someone wants to tail-gate me, because I feel that I would win.

I think it is safe to say that as a culture we HATE discomfort.

I am getting ready to work through the book of James with my students this semester, and I am pumped! BUT, it is very countercultural. Right from the start he tells us to joyful embrace trials... trials are not comfortable. Our culture takes great lengths to relieve even the smallest amount of discomfort, so you can imagine how difficult it will be for us not only to stop seeking comfort, but to live our lives in such a way that we joyfuly embrace and endure the discomforts of this jacked up world, fighting to see them as a necessary means for the progression of our sanctification.

For the rest of this semester I will update the blog with point illustrations, but beware, we're going to HAVE to let James make us uncomfortable. We are basically going to demolish this fake superficial happiness that our world pursues and show how to have a deep and firmly rooted faith that brings to true joy.

Stay tuned...