We live in the era of comfort—and it’s no wonder. People are stressed and worried, still healing from living through a pandemic and stressed to the max by constant news feeds and political mayhem. The desire for ease and reprieve makes sense. Pursuing it primarily, though, misses the mark.

In “A Discipleship of Discomfort,” CT’s chief operating officer Nicole Massie Martin considers how the cultural desire for personal well-being continues to rise. From health trends to hesitation around marriage and family, our societal consciousness fixates on temporary peace. There’s nothing wrong with caring for our bodies and minds—intentionality in those areas can be quite good. But for the Christian, there is also a conviction to sacrifice comfort to follow Jesus.

“The message we must convey is that a life with Christ requires that we give up everything to follow him,” writes Martin.

“But herein lies our joy: What we lose in the world is nothing compared to what we gain with Christ. What we sacrifice of ourselves for Jesus pales in comparison to what we gain in fellowship with him. In an age consumed by temporary comforts, we carry the assurance of eternal peace that stems from union with and obedience to Christ as Lord and Savior.”

May we keep our complex call in mind, remembering that we are meant neither to ignore our desires nor purely pursue our pleasures but to surrender our lives wholly to the God of all comfort.