In this series of blog posts, I am attempting to convict and admonish my fellow brothers in respect to our blindness toward the idols of our culture and their unfortunate presence in the household of God. These false idols are destructive aspects of  culture which must be purged from within God’s people. My goal in writing is to stir up a bit of introspection, self-evaluation, and repentance. I struggle with these idols as much as anyone, and I want my brothers to hold me accountable. Here is my first post.

You make known to me the path of life;
   in your presence there is fullness of joy;
   at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
-Psalm 16:11 ESV

Working at a hospital, I am often around people with no hope. Many despair because their life—or the life of a loved one—is coming to an end. It is at times difficult to be around people who are in such pain; most of the time you don’t know what to say, how to say it, or whether or not it really even matters. But one thing we try very hard to do for those who are dying is to make their remaining time on earth as comfortable as possible. We give them more comfortable mattresses and special quilts, offer them music, and provide coffee and cookies to the grieving family members. It’s called comfort care, and it’s appropriate for those who are dying.

It is no wonder, then, that a society devoid of hope also seeks after comfort. Postmodernity has brought an increasing despair among Americans (and will continue to do so), as our hope in the false gospel of reason and progress collapses into no hope at all. Our motivation for living is fading, life appears devoid of meaning, and there comes a point where all there is left for us to do is consume. We seek to find joy in material wealth and fanciful experiences, and just as the drunkard or the glutton seek escape from their depression, this consumerism, coming fast on the heels of postmodernism, is our pursuit of comfort care.

I am not surprised that society is full of self-seeking consumers who want, more than anything, to be comfortable. After all, you would expect a dying person to want to live in comfort care. However, I am shamefully disappointed that we, as Christians, far too often live in the same manner as those who are perishing. We seek to escape work because it hinders us from being comfortable. We avoid or delay having children because they are too much of an inconvenience. We spend the vast majority of our free time on entertainment—video games, television, the internet and the like. We hastily devour unhealthy meals, simply for the pleasure they bring our taste buds. We seek self-satisfaction in nearly all that we do. We, like the rest of our society, are addicted to comfort.

What then shall the rest of the world say? We claim to possess eternal life, yet they see us lying motionless in bed with a feeding tube and a warm blanket. We speak as though we will live forever yet surround ourselves with comfort care. What a tragedy this is, that the very people of God live as those who are dying! Society should look at us and see something different; they should see hope. They should wonder what it is we’ve got and how they can get it too.

So, the question must be asked, what must we do? What is the underlying problem? Why are we living in comfort care?

 The problem is a lack of hope in Christ; this is our terminal illness. We do not trust him at his word. We do not put our faith in his redemptive work on the cross, which brings us into salvation. We do not believe that God is all-satisfying, and we seek to supplement his goodness with our foolish consumerism. We refuse to take comfort in the Holy Spirit and whore after false gods. We distrust the Father’s purpose for our lives and reject his authority over all we do; we refuse to bow down before God as we instead worship our idol of comfort.

What we must do, brothers, is repent. We are idol worshipers; we should recognize this, confess it before God, ask him to change our rebellious hearts, and seek to worship God with all of our lives. Sure, this is a complicated process, and we’ll have to do it over again and again. But I believe God’s Word when it tells me that it is in God’s presence—and, might I add, God’s presence alone—that we may experience fullness of joy. Holy Spirit, sanctify us. Let us cast down our idols of comfort and pleasure and seek to receive God’s blessings with joyful hearts.