"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."
1 PETER 2:21

Some sermons just hit you right between the eyes. My pastor said, "Jesus didn't live the life that he lived so that you could be safe and comfortable. He lived the life he lived so that you could be enabled to live the same way." 

Hmm. Had I ever really considered this truth before? Does being a follower of Christ literally mean following Christ's example? Probably so. And if it is so, to be a follower of Christ may mean patterning my life after the life that he lived. So then, what kind of life did Jesus live?

Jesus didn't pursue a life of comfort, safety and pleasure. It wasn't enough for him to follow a Christian "to-don't list." His life wasn't just about avoiding sin, but about pursuing righteousness. His best friends were blue-collar fisherman. He placed himself in risky situations. He was more concerned about speaking the truth then about making good impressions and climbing the social ladder. He ate with sinners, prostitutes and tax collectors. He didn't amass physical wealth.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying there's anything inherently wrong in finding yourself in a place of comfort and safety, but what I am saying is that there might be a big problem if the pursuit of comfort, safety and pleasure has become one of my life's highest goals and priorities. If the pursuit of these things is hindering me from living a life like Jesus lived, then maybe comfort and pleasure are more important to me than being a follower of Christ. 

This is a deeply disturbing possibility. 

So I had to ask myself this question: "Is the pursuit of comfort, safety and pleasure one of my highest life priorities?" My knee-jerk reaction said, "No, of course not." An honest evaluation may say otherwise. 

I thought about how I make little decisions every day. Was there any selfish ambition at the root of my acts of service? Was I willing to sacrifice only up to the point that things began to get uncomfortable? Do I surround myself with the needy, the hurting, the sick and the poor? Do I speak the truth or am I satisfied with platitudes that won't offend? Does my life, in the small day-to-day details, look like the life of Christ? 

This song reflects my struggle with this big question. It's easy to say that you care more about following Jesus than pursuing worldly comforts, but it's much harder to live this way. And I don't think these worldly treasures simply consist of power, prestige and private jets. We can easily slip into a "Christian" version of worldly pursuits. 

What do we care more about in our churches: decor or discipleship? 

How do I view the purpose of my home: a place to store things or a place to share? 

What is the treasure of my heart: my reputation or my repentance? 

Jesus said to his followers in Luke 9, "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul?" Whatever we want to gain in this world, if it doesn't align with the things Christ pursued in his life, then it cannot be the highest gain. Paul said in Philippians, "Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." 
 
I know I haven't achieved this level of Christ-likeness. I know there are still strongholds in my heart that I sometimes choose to place above the pursuit of Christ. But I hope that in recognizing that following Christ means literally following in the demonstrated footsteps of Christ, I may keep my priorities in clearer focus.

Lyrics:
I start my prayers with that same old line
Bless me, help me, heal me, keep me safe at night
Sitting so pretty in a seat saved for me,
It's just too easy keeping up the routine
I hold on to a Sunday best commitment
but You want more from me

You didn't die so that I could follow all the rules
You didn't bleed so that we could make ourselves look good
You didn't rise from the grave to keep me safe
You gave it all so that I could do the same

Feeling good just ain't good enough
cause there's hungry mouths and broken hearts that need your love
The high and the mighty build towers and walls
but the humble and empty, You use and You call
I've spent too long look back, looking inward
There's so much more to see

You didn't die so that I could follow all the rules
You didn't bleed so that we could make ourselves look good
You didn't rise from the grave to keep me safe
You gave it all so that I could do the same

You came to seek and to save, a rebel heart, a wayward slave
so let me live a life worthy of Your name

You didn't die so that I could follow all the rules
You didn't bleed so that we could make ourselves look good
You didn't rise from the grave to keep me safe
You gave it all so that I could do the same