Disruption of a Comfortable Life

I’m 30 years old and I can’t pinpoint a moment of conscious awareness until about 2001.

It was the year of 1st grade, playing fish-out-of-water on the playground, the release of the Apple iPod, and of course, the attacks on the world trade center, the pentagon, and United Airlines flight 93. At that moment in time, all of life was contained to what was in front of me. What I didn’t know, didn’t exist. What didn’t affect me, wasn’t a concern.

The meaning of life to 1st grade Ryan was simple: 

Whatever gave me security, stay with that.

Whatever gave me pleasure, keep doing that.

Whatever I didn’t have, but wanted, keep trying to get that.

Whatever brought the least resistance, conflict, and discomfort, stay with that.

Don't we all live like this?

I can see why my vision of life in 2001 is attractive. People sell books about that vision of life and make millions! We’re quick to fill the pockets of these authors because something in us flocks to messages of security, happiness, comfort, convenience, and shortcuts. Isn’t it true that my 1st grade vision of life is a desirable formula to pattern our life after? Isn’t it true that we just want a life with minimal disruptions? If we answer honestly, it opens our eyes to the many people around us who have intentionally or even unintentionally given their heart over to this vision of life. If we graduate into the next level of honesty, we'll even begin to see the grip that this kind of life has on us. 

Sadly, many people’s short timeline on this side of eternity is aligning with this animal-like understanding and practice of life. There are 8.2 billion beautiful souls occupying this planet, bearing the image of God, and many are serving the agenda of our postmodern culture’s worship of pleasure and comfort. Now hear me out for a moment... living for any pleasure you desire and seeking comfort at all costs is really appealing. Spam calls don’t normally contain the secret to life, but if I answered a spam call and they offered me the silver bullet for a life completely absent of discomfort and full of unlimited pleasure, I would be tempted to chase that offer. My name is Ryan Pennington and I like pleasure and comfort. Who doesn’t?!

Okay, cool. So It’s humbling and all that humans desire to basically live like animals, but if it’s enjoyable and it doesn’t cause direct harm to people, can’t we just keep living like animals (and 1st grade Ryan)!? 

Well, sure. According to the narrative of our culture, we can do anything we want. That’s the way of America, the truth of America, and the life America offers. If that’s the life you want, take it. If that’s the life you trust will bring you eternal joy and purpose, you can have it. Our country allows us the privilege of building toward any kind of life we want (with limitations of course). So go ahead! The way, the truth, and the life of comfort and pleasure are yours for the taking.

But what if you’re wrong? What if there’s more? What if there is a disruption that requires you to rethink what you think is reality? What if the gods of pleasure and comfort are counterfeits of something greater? 

If you’ll allow me, I’d like to disrupt the flow of this writing with a series of disruptions that create tension with our all too common understanding and practice of life.

Have you heard of Jesus? No, I’m not the person knocking on your door that you ignore by pretending not to be home. I’m just an ordinary person who has given their life over to the greatest disruption this world will ever know. His name is Jesus. Have you heard of Him?

Jesus, who is the embodiment of God, stepped into our physical world.

Disruption.

This Jesus walked around healing people with life-long diseases.

Disruption.

This Jesus brought people who were dead back to life.

Disruption.

This Jesus freed people from the influence of unseen evil powers.

Disruption.

This Jesus announced the arrival of what He called, “The Kingdom of God.”

Disruption.

This Jesus called people to turn from sin and to turn toward Him.

Disruption.

This Jesus called out hypocrisy and injustice deeply embedded in the religious system. Disruption.

This Jesus showed up to dinner parties with enemies of His Jewish identity and religious practice.

Disruption.

This Jesus taught about and modeled who God is and what He’s like in ways that shattered expectations.

Disruption.

This Jesus invited 12 dysfunctional and unimpressive people to be His disciples.

Disruption.

This Jesus made claims about being the fulfillment of all the Jewish Scriptures.

Disruption.

This Jesus made claims about how to live the best kind of life, free of sin’s influence. Disruption.

This Jesus made uncomfortable claims about the human heart.

Disruption.

This Jesus made claims about what is actually reality.

Disruption.

This Jesus was rejected and executed on a cross.

Disruption.

This Jesus claimed that this execution by Rome, was actually His ultimate act of obedience to the Father.

Disruption.

This Jesus claimed that the cross was how people would be cleansed and belong to Him. Disruption.

This Jesus remained dead for three days.

Disruption.

This Jesus was resurrected.

Disruption.

This resurrected Jesus seemed to carry a different body, but with his scars intact. Disruption.

This Jesus claimed that those who have faith in Him, will join Him in His resurrection. Disruption.

This Jesus promised that a Helper would come, dwell within His people, and guide them. Disruption.

This Jesus ascended to be with the Father in heaven, interceding on our behalf.

Disruption.

A lot has changed in 2,000 years, but the human heart’s chase for a life of whatever you want, how you want, when you want, who you want, is not one of those changes.

And yet, this divine disruption forces people to address their perceived reality and way of life.

Have you allowed the disruption of Jesus to sink deep within your soul? Have you given this disruption complete access to your mind? Your relationships? Your money? Your politics? Your decisions? Your time? Your talents? Your goals? Your work? Your pleasures? Your whole life?

All of us are on a bike, riding down a path of our choosing.

The 33 years of life lived by a Galilean man named Jesus is the wrench that some bully chucked into your tire spokes. Except God, or as the Scriptures call Him, Yahweh, is not a bully.

Oofta! Wrench in the tire spokes?! That's brutal. Imagine your bike coming to a dead stop as your body moves off the bike, through the air superman style, and crashing onto the ground.

The invitation in this moment is to examine what in the heck just happened?!

Bike stopped. Body on the ground. Knees bleeding. Prevented from continuing down the path. 

The life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is powerfully throwing people off their bikes to examine what happened, to realize they’re bleeding, and have been saved from the inevitable results of the path they were riding on. Praise God! 

But some quickly glance around them, get back on their bike, and hurry to the path they were on like nothing happened. 

Others may acknowledge the disruption, but don't see the invitation in the disruption. Instead they continue to trust the "reality" that the politicians, celebrities, and news channels are telling them.

The disruption confronts, and some see it as an enemy.

Regardless of how we respond to Jesus, the disruption of Jesus requires a response.

For those of us who follow Jesus, our pride might puff up and tell us that we’ve abandoned all other visions for life and we've accepted the invitation of the disruption! But if we’re honest, sometimes our 1st grade way of doing and thinking about things spills out and we get tangled back up in a life of:

pleasure seeking.

comfort protecting.

convenience chasing.

The desires of this life simply follow directions from the methods of:

consumerism.

individualism.

transactionalism.

All methods championed by our culture. Take what you want (as long as you work for it)! Worry about yourself and your family only. If it doesn't affect you, it's not a concern. If it benefits you, go for it! Leverage your relationships for your needs and wants!

If you've read Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, you know that these methods and desire drivers are in conflict with the vision of life Jesus spells out in this masterfully crafted sermon. So for those of us riding down a new path, it's necessary for our growth that we stop and examine the path we're on. I often pray a portion of Psalm 139 in the mornings, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." God responds freaky fast to this kind of prayer. Jimmy John's better watch out!

So...are you participating in God’s story?

What kind of life are you living? One crafted by our surrounding culture? A life similar to animals and the tunnel vision of a 1st grader?

My name is Ryan Pennington and I enjoy comfort and pleasure. I enjoy my own way of living. I enjoy being right and convincing myself that everyone else is wrong. I enjoy a life free of conflict, discomfort, change, and inconvenience. I enjoy giving into any desire that meets my needs. I enjoy crafting the most polished image of myself. I like to consume and treat my relationships like transactions.

This is the very reason why I am convinced that my knee is scraped. When I ignore my wounds, they just end up bleeding all over people. I am in need of a power outside of myself, and totally dependent on a God who has saved, is saving, and will save me. Day by day, I trust that by the Spirit's power, the whole of my life will look more and more like the way Jesus lived.

Yes, Jesus is the wrench hurled into your tire spoke, but He is also:

The Teacher who shows you the best way to live and be in relationship with God, people, and self.

The Friend who will be with you in all things.

The Savior who rescues you from sin, death, and satan.

The Son of Man, or human representative, who accomplished what we could not.

The High Priest who gives us eternal access to God.

The King who reigns with mercy and justice, who will one day make all things new where all that is evil will be destroyed and all that is good will be preserved.

This Jesus can be yours. Complete access to Jesus can be reality for you! Give life with Jesus a try. I dare you. I know that sacrificing a what-you-want-when-you-want kind of life will be difficult. But what if Jesus is better? What if His claims are true? What if you were designed to model His way of life? What if life with Jesus is better?

When I was a kid, I was riding my bike like a stuntman (or so I thought). I began to wiggle my handlebars back and forth as fast as I could while maintaining a steady riding pace. The result? My face kissing the concrete. Six or so teeth were knocked out of my mouth instantly and were left as a memorial on that simple sidewalk in my neighborhood. Without even thinking, I rode my bike full speed back home. I barged through our back door, wailing as blood poured out of my mouth, and into the arms of my mom who was washing dishes in the kitchen. It was a disruption that confronted my comfort and required a response from me.

Acknowledge the disruption. Feel the pain, ugly cry, and run into the arms of Jesus. Your life will never be the same.