God inconveniences all who would follow Him.

That sounds strange, even disrespectful at first. But when considering what the word means, and considering Biblical examples, it’s demonstrably true that following God is not meant to be convenient. Webster’s defines convenient as, “suited to personal comfort or to easy performance.” The path of self-denial (Luke 9:23) and rebirth (2 Corinthians 5:17) to which God calls us does not leave room for personal comfort and easy performance. It never has. Consider those who have taught us this lesson over the millennia:

  • Abraham lived at home with family, and, from all indications, was quite well off. It was in this state that God commanded the future patriarch to leave his entire life behind for a land he had never seen.
  • Moses was living in exile with his in-laws, working as a shepherd far away from the problems of the Israelite people in Egypt. It was in this state God called Moses from the burning bush, sending him to confront Pharaoh and lead God’s people out of slavery.
  • Peter, Andrew, James, and John were doing just fine as fisherman, as was Matthew as a tax collector. Jesus called them to drop all they knew and follow Him.

Of course, we could explore countless other lives from the Bible – Gideon, Elisha, Amos, Jonah, Paul, and the list goes on – all of which drive home the same point: if God is going to use us in His service, we had better be prepared to be inconvenienced.

Of course, God does not ask us to make any sacrifice He Himself has not made in exponentially greater ways. Philippians 2:5-8 documents Jesus’ journey of emptying Himself, taking on flesh, and going to the cross.

The challenge for us is to reject the popular framing of Christianity that casts God as our biggest cheerleader, who comes into our lives and helps us with whatever plans, dreams, and goals we have. In practical terms, many have bought into a Christianity that can be summed up by the blasphemous old bumper stickers that declared “God is my co-pilot.” It’s this view of God that has made Philippians 4:13 and Jeremiah 29:11 take the place of John 3:16 and Romans 8:1 as the most popular, well-known verses.

Under this Christianity, God would not have told Abraham to leave his home and his family, Moses to confront Pharaoh, or Peter, Andrew, James, and John to leave their boats. He would have merely comforted them and supported them as they continued down their own path. But God’s world-changing, world-saving plans need people who are willing to give their own preferences up for His cause.

Which path do you choose? The one the great saints have trod, in which God reroutes His people from their plans to His, or the modern one, that reenvisions God as our personal assistant? Though God likely isn’t calling you to leave home or quit a job, there are surely plenty of ways in which His commands inconvenience us today. What will we do about those commands?

Are you willing to let God inconvenience the plans on your calendar for the work of the church, or are you too busy to be used by Him? What about your finances? What about your comfort, as it pertains to the inconvenience of evangelizing or discipling others? What about a sin you may need to confess?

For me, currently, it’s evangelism. Evangelism is not in the least “suited to personal comfort or to easy performance.” But God wants me to do it. Convenient Christianity keeps going to God for comfort and guidance in my life but neglects the inconvenient commands like evangelism. Inconvenient, faithful Christianity means doing like Abraham, Moses, and Peter and leaving my comfort for God’s call.

Serving God is not easy. But He does not leave us alone as we work for Him, and He offers grace as we stumble and serve imperfectly. Let yourself be inconvenienced by God. Like all the saints before us, we’ll find along the way that we’re far better off inconvenienced by God than we are in the conveniences life offers to keep us comfortable.