I remember as a child hearing the line, "don’t get too comfortable." It was usually as I was settling into a comfortable chair while on only a ten minute break from work. Or, it was sitting behind the wheel of someone else’s nice car that I would never be allowed to drive. Or, it was being in a temporary position with authority while the boss was on vacation. It was simply to remind me that there was somewhere else where I should be in the not-too-distant future.
Peter reminds the folks scattered around the more distant parts of the Roman world (1 Peter 1:1) that as foreigners, they should behave as "temporary residents and foreigners" (1 Peter 2:11 NLT) in the world. Of course, the purpose is that people will glorify God when they see the unusual life of holiness in an unholy world. But, the message is clear: Don’t get too comfortable, either in this world, or with the world’s behavior. Having said that, it is truly a joy and an unspeakable privilege to live here and to be in relationship and to share life with others and even to carry on like others. We get lulled into thinking this is the best that it gets. And then we draw closer to Jesus and are reminded that it always gets better. Looking up and looking forward makes everything clearer. Looking up and looking forward allows us to live in anticipation.
I love life. I love God. I love my family. I love my friends and ministry. I will continue to love God and all that God has given as long as it is in my grasp. But, I will not get too comfortable. There is more beyond where I am. Hope is the result.