I recently heard someone call herself a “comfort-zone Christian.” Though I disagree with her self-diagnosis, I understand what she’s saying. Christians live their lives on different levels. Here are four to consider:
First, some people are closet Christians. They keep their faith secret and don’t discuss it with anyone. No one knows they’re a Christian; there’s no evidence to convict them.
I have no idea how many people fit this category because they stay in hiding. We only learn about them after they come out of their closet.
Then there are marginal Christians. If they need to, or when it’s convenient, they talk about God. But mostly they live a quiet life, a bland existence really, not truly living for God, just existing with him.
Next I suppose are comfort-zone Christians. Most everyone knows about their love for Jesus. They share their faith, encourage others, and live a life worthy of imitation. We look up to them. But there are limits.
They don’t take many risks. They want to stay safe and evade ridicule. They avoid dangerous places and skirt contentious situations. Comfort is their goal.
I’ll call the final category extreme Christians, as in extreme sports. They take risks for God. They do whatever the Holy Spirit tells them, regardless of how crazy or dangerous it sounds. They go places, do things, and say stuff that could get them in trouble.
It’s not that they pursue action for the sake of action, but they do have their Papa’s heart. They willingly follow him wherever he may take them.
Though I occasionally dip into the extreme, I admit I enjoy the comfort-zone too much. As for my friend, she’s more extreme than she realizes. May we all be more like her.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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