Quotes of the Day for March 2, 2026 – Thoughts on the comfortable and the uncomfortable
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“Throw out of your head the idea that you can, through a comfortable life, become what you must be in Christ!...We think as humans, and God thinks differently—there is a deep meaning in His actions, aimed above all at the salvation of our souls. For example, we often think, “This is my place, I feel comfortable here, and it is here that I can attain salvation.” But the Lord sees everything differently and puts us in circumstances that seem very unpleasant to us, but it is this “unpleasantness” that can turn into great joy and comfort for us.” (St. Theophan the Recluse, Hieromonk Kirill Popov)
“Everything that a person encounters in his life is a test for him. And what seems to be pleasant and easy eventually turns out to be a more difficult test than an unpleasant and uncomfortable life experience. The fact is that in comfortable and favorable circumstances, people tend to relax and lose their vigilance; as opposed to this, in uncomfortable circumstances they are more attentive and focus on decisions and actions.” (Priest Tarasiy Borozenets)
“First of all, it follows that God seeks those who worship Him and follow Him consciously and voluntarily, because He says: whosoever will come after me. This is the very important principle of internal freedom…The second thing that follows from the phrase let him deny himself is the condition of following Christ. This is also a very challenging principle. Often, a person wants to be a Christian in the realm of Christianity that brings joy and comfort. People sometimes rush to the Church and Christianity when they are troubled and seek comfort, sometimes even as a kind of drug, as a spiritual antidepressant. A person wants to receive from the Church what the harsh, deceptive, wicked, and cunning world does not provide, while assuming that they can remain unchanged….this is a deception, and that one can only receive if one gives; that Christianity cannot be used fragmentarily, and one cannot be a partial Christian. Moreover, one’s inner being will not be formed properly without denying oneself for the sake of God’s truth, for one’s neighbor, and in order to keep the commandments.” (Archpriest Maxim Kozlov)
“The native land of Abraham’s father, Terah, was the prosperous city of Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:27-32). Ur was a port on the Euphrates River, a crossroads of trade with an impressive ziggurat. But Terah led his family out of the comfort of this civilized city to go to Haran in the Land of Canaan. When Terah died, the Lord called to Abram to “go out of your county, from your kindred, and from your father’s house to a land I will show you (Genesis 12:1). There in this land of promise, he lived in tents and put his hope in the promise that God would build him a city (vs. 11). Not once did Abraham look back to think of the luxuries of his father’s homeland. If he had, he would have taken the opportunity to return (vs. 15). But Abraham’s eyes were on his hope, and his trust was in the promise of God. That hope did not allow him to become too comfortable in his circumstances. For a life of ease without hardship soon breeds complacency and one forgets the goal of one’s hope.” (Fr. Basil)
“This parable ]Matthew 18:23-35] draws us in to face an uncomfortable truth: how we treat those who have wronged or offended us reveals the true state of our souls…Lord’s healing mercy transforms us as persons in relation to one another: if we have embraced His forgiveness, then His gracious divine energies must permeate our lives. He said, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” To become radiant with mercy to the point we do not limit our love only to people who treat us well is necessary in order to obey Christ’s commandment: “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5: 44-48)” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)
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