Primal

One of the ways that the Holy Spirit has been messing with my "bent toward comfort" lately is through Mark Batterson's new book, Primal (officially hits the shelves on Tuesday). As I've been reading Batterson's book, I've been reminded of the God-given passions and dreams in my life that have remained dormant and unfulfilled.

In the opening pages, Batterson describes an opportunity that he had to descend into the Roman catacombs where second century Christians "risked everything, even their lives, to worship God." He observes, "when you're standing in an ancient catacomb, the comfort you enjoy makes you uncomfortable. The things you complain about are convicting. And some of the sacrifices you've made for the cause of Christ might not even qualify under a second century definition." Ouch!

I'm conflicted, on one hand, I really want to be used by God to see deep, substantial transformational change occur in this world, yet I face the lure and attraction of a self-centered, comfortable life of way too many evenings spent in front of the television. I can't have it both ways. And Batterson's book is a clarion wake-up call that I need to revisit often.

Stay tuned for more observations and takeaways from this book...