Nasty Disturbing Uncomfortable Things!

“You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day…So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart…Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it” 1 Th 5:4-7, The Message.

This morning I read something from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit that reminded me of our passage. Gandalf the wizard says to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins: ‘I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.’ Bilbo Baggins replies: ‘I should think so – in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things!’
I am amused at this fictional dialogue that is closer to the truth for Christians than we would like to admit. Including me no one likes to go through tough times. But when we claim with our mouths to be Christians we had better be willing to walk it out with our feet. When we are living a life pursuing God we will face adversity and challenges just like Christ. We will be invited to walk alongside the Savior and experience adventure after adventure. Our despair will be replaced with joy when it doesn’t make sense to experience joy…that’s an adventure. We will watch God stretch our resources beyond anything we could have imagined…that’s an adventure. We will watch our loved ones triumph over addiction…that’s an adventure. So why do we act like Bilbo Baggins expecting to just sleepwalk through life avoiding the adventures that could awaken our hearts and activate our faith? Why are we complacent with the mundane and pursue comfort over purpose…nasty disturbing uncomfortable things!

We are children of the Day and should act like we belong to the Light of God. What does this look like in the life of a Christian? It means we are to open our hearts to share the pain we have experienced. A son of the Day means to find ways to lead in the Kingdom. A daughter of the Light means to love, serve and sacrifice. God is looking for those to join Him in the spiritual adventures for which we were created. It is only through our commitment to follow Him and place His plans ahead of our own that bring us to this place of adventure. God did not create and awaken us to this life only for us to fall back asleep. There is work to do and God is looking for people to share in the adventures that He is arranging. I wonder if it is as difficult for Him to find anyone like it was for Gandalf.