Why is discomfort a good thing in a believer's life?

 The title is a good question I was recently asked.  Good questions drive us deeper into God.

The key words are "in a believer's life", the fact that the person is a believer in the covenant keeping, God of Israel, whose promises are connected to the next age, with only a down payment available in this age, is the absolute key to unlocking the answer to this question.

We are a maranatha people.  A people who cry out for the return of the Lord, to sit on His throne in Jerusalem and rule the nations with justice and peace.  That is not happening in this age, the ruler of this world is satan, he needs to be kicked out and locked up for the next stage to take place.

As believers we have been brought into ultimate truth that this life is a training area, a staging area, for a much greater age to come.  Time, it seems, has one purpose, to create the room necessary for repentance to take place.  Time is a mercy, and bringing the time of this age to a close is a mercy too.  

It is all mercy.

Which brings us to discomfort.  If discomfort is used properly it causes us to take our hope and desire off of anything in this world.  The beauty that we long for with trusting expectation is in the age to come, the coming Kingdom of the coming King.  The ultimate place this will bring us to, is "loving not our lives unto the death."  This place is the place where satan has no power.  The ultimate power of satan and the states/nations/countries that he controls is, "We can have you put to death."  When a believer is given to grace to see, "Oh, no you can't." they are free in a way that is ultimate and true and permanent.

Discomfort is a stepping stone to ultimate freedom.  It is a stepping stone to a deeper place of rest and trust in the Messiah.  It is a stepping stone to the peace that passes understanding.  It is a mercy-filled blessing for those who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear.