Though many of us have seen pictures of a huge eagle’s nest, few of us have gotten a glimpse inside. When a mother eagle builds her nest, she starts with thorns, broken branches, sharp rocks, and several other items that seem entirely unsuitable for the project. But then she lines the nest with a thick padding of wool, feathers, and fur from animals she has killed, making it soft and comfortable for the eggs. By the time the growing birds reach flying age, the comfort of the nest and the luxury of free meals make them quite reluctant to leave. That is when the mother eagle begins “stirring up the nest.” With her strong talons, she begins pulling up the thick carpet of fur and feathers, bringing the sharp rocks and branches to the surface. As more of the bedding gets plucked up, the nest becomes more uncomfortable for the young eagles. Eventually, this and other urgings prompt the growing eagles to leave their once-comfortable abode and move on to more mature behavior.
Too many of us have become comfortable with going to church occasionally, owning but not reading a Bible, and being a Christian but not living as a follower of Christ. Is this what the Bible says? Are we called to be comfortable?
For the most part, churches are comfortable places to be. They are air-conditioned and heated. You sit in comfortable seats, sing beautiful songs, and listen to a preacher give you an uplifting message that will help inspire you for the week ahead. When you leave, you feel good that you have checked a box off your weekly to-do list. You went to church. Yay, you!
When we allow ourselves to be comfortable in our faith though, it often causes us to become complacent. When we become complacent, we are happy to stay right where we are, doing the things we have always done. We take for granted the easy access we have to prayer, to Bibles, to church. We don’t prioritize time with God because we take for granted the fact that He will always be there for us. We treat God like a magic genie or a “get out of jail free” card in Monopoly, instead of the Creator and Savior that He is.
After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples and gave them what is now known as the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) that told them to go and to do. It tells us the same today. You see, we are not called to be comfortable, simply living in the peace we have because of our salvation as Christians. We are called to go and to do, loving and serving others as followers of Christ. This being so, is it time for you to stir up the nest?
God’s Best…Steven