Not a Comfortable God

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about a type of false Christ the world believes in. How so many people profess that Jesus was a nice guy and taught us to love everyone. This blog refers to it as the Nice Doctrine. The problem with this doctrine, is that they are limiting Christ to one dimension, and really only backing it up by a few verses of scripture. If you read all the scriptures that teach of Christ, and that includes the Old Testament (we believe Jehovah is Christ), then you would know that Christ taught a lot more than to just be nice to everyone. Yes, Christ taught us to love everyone, but the key is that we are to love as He loved us.

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34)

To fully understand Christ's love, we have to study ALL of His life and teachings. The world has a very different concept of what love is, and they use it to try to convince us that Jesus would never disagree with someone or stand up for something. But that's not the love that Christ taught or lived.

I loved Elder Holland's talk in General Conference. It really summed up my thoughts on the subject. He taught how Christ is not a comfortable God:

"Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods and smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds. Talk about man creating God in his own image! Sometimes — and this seems the greatest irony of all — these folks invoke the name of Jesus as one who was this kind of ‘comfortable’ God. Really? 

Now be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t have it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them."

I believe the love that Christ taught and lived is similar to the love a parent should have for a child. As a parent, sometimes you have to discipline them and you have to tell them "no", because you love them and want what is best for them. Sometimes the child will yell "You don't love me" when we set limits and boundaries. But the truth is, real love is doing what you believe to be best for your child, even when they may hate you for it. It can be hard to do, and it can be uncomfortable, but it is what true love demands.