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comfort or cause

Back in the early 1990’s, the church I was pastoring in San Diego sponsored a conference and brought in a friend of mine from Seattle.  I had first met Milton Jones when one of my older brothers had interned with him at the Northwest Church in Seattle.

I don’t remember sermon titles or stories, but I do remember one particularly passionate moment.  Milt looked at the crowd and said, “What would you put up with in order to see someone come to Jesus?”  Then he preceded to rattle off several things that our particular fellowship liked to hold dear.  Would we give those up if it meant more people would find their way back to God?

It was an unsettling question for some in the crowd.  The unspoken answer was likely “no.”

As I’ve reflected on that moment over the years, I would phrase it this way: Are you seeking comfort or living for a cause?  It would be nice to do both; or to seek a comfortable cause.  But often God calls us out of our comfort zone into a cause that challenges and stretches us.

Comfort or cause applies to churches, organizations, business, and individuals.  It’s a good measuring stick to use when evaluating an idea: Is this about being comfortable or tackling a cause?

What do you think?