One thing I’ve learned in quarantine is that stretchy pants can be deceiving.

See, the thing with stretchy pants is the elastic in the waist allows them to expand. Therefore, our expanding waistline under the stretchy-ness of those comfortable pants can increase without our knowledge. 

It’s not until you go to put on actual pants (without an elastic waist) that you realize, um, “these jeans use to not be this hard to button!”  Who put my pants in the dryer?

Our bodies are made for tension. They grow under stress. Whether it’s birthing babies, trying to finally get those coveted abs, training for a race, or studying for a test. It’s in the hard things we do that keeps our minds sharp and our bodies healthy. 

From growing plants to forming diamonds, most good things only happen under tension. They have to be broken down to come back, and they come back better and stronger. 

When my son broke his collarbone playing football, the doctor told us that he most likely would never break that bone again. Why? Because after it’s been broken, it heals stronger than it was before. Our creator designed us that way. 

It’s not His will that we stay broken. 

The thing with comfort is that it can be deceptive because our minds and bodies need rest to heal. Here lies the tension. 

If we stay in something comfortable too long, our muscles will atrophy, and we will become weak in our ability to do hard things. And life, my friend, is full of hard things. 

Comfort in itself isn’t bad. I’ll be the first to say how much I love my stretchy pants. And we as humans all need to be comforted. It just can’t become our way of life. 

Being comfortable has a way of lulling us to sleep, and giving us a false sense of security, making us want to camp out. It’s a nice place to visit; you can’t build your house there. 

Being comfortable has a way of lulling us to sleep, and giving us a false sense of security Share on X

I dare to say all of us this year, in one way or another, have found ourselves in places where we have become too comfortable for too long. One more brownie, one more Netflix original series, ah, maybe we will catch church next Sunday. Can anyone relate? It is way to easy to do. 

But I would ask you to consider embracing the tension between comfort and growth. Absolutely enjoy a dessert and a good movie. By all means, take the time to be with your friends and family. But also make it a point to grow!

Go for a daily walk. Read a good book. Eat a vegetable every now and then. And most importantly, spend time in the presence of Jesus and the Word every day. This is where real change happens. We all want change; it’s just harder (uncomfortable) to do the changing. 

But, no doubt, it’s worth the effort. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

Where have you gotten too comfortable?