Check out any hotel advertisement. Each chain claims they will provide the most comfortable stay – the bedding will be the softest, the rooms will be the cleanest and most up to date, the breakfast will be the biggest. All of our needs – in our home away from home – will not only be met, but exceeded.
The advertisers are simply appealing to our universal desire to be comfortable.
We all want to be comfortable. We want air conditioning when it’s hot and we want food when we’re hungry. We want the most advanced mattress so we have a great night’s sleep. In our country, in this day and time, we are not likely to go without those things that bring comfort. We really don’t have to.
Yet, as stewards, we know firsthand that we should not expect comfort in this life. We should be prepared for challenges and trials. When we step outside our comfort zone, when we strive for greatness as stewards no matter the obstacle, and when we turn to God during life’s trials, tackling these challenges only makes us stronger.
In his address during World Youth Day in Spain in 2011, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI summed up these thoughts to more than 1 million Catholics when he proclaimed: “The world promises you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness!”
Heed these wise words from our Pope Emeritus. Don’t settle for a comfortable life. Settle for a great life.
