There is a tendency among Christians and the church in general to urge the congregation to remain faithful to the Lord amid hardship and suffering. That is certainly not wrong. Human nature is basically to avoid difficulty. If faithfulness to the Lord merely perpetuates hardship, people may abandon God to avoid it. Therefore, calls to remain faithful during hard times should continue to be voiced to encourage Christians in those situations. However, it must be admitted honestly that the circumstances of Christians today are very different.
In terms of state recognition, Christianity has been recognized as an official religion. Regarding places of worship, especially in Indonesia, local governments provide support for church building permits, though some areas still face difficulties obtaining them. Many churches in Indonesia—and around the world—now even have grand buildings. Socially and politically, a fair number of Christians occupy strategic public offices and can represent Christian interests. Moreover, today’s world tends to calm many Christians rather than press or persecute them.
On the one hand, this creates a conducive climate for the numerical growth of Christianity. On the other hand, that atmosphere systematically and massively pushes Christians toward a status quo or a zone of mediocrity. In biblical terms, this condition is called being “lukewarm.”
This status quo or mediocrity appears in Christians who retain their Christian identity and routines. The security of Christian identity no longer faces a serious threat. The improvement in living standards pursued by world leaders in many countries also reduces pressure on Christian life. As a result, many Christians live better lives and no longer experience the hard times of old, when living standards were low, and Christian identity was highly vulnerable. Unwittingly, however, they may be committing spiritual infidelity with sin and worldly pleasures.
The church is relatively quiet about this mediocrity. The church more often urges the congregation to be faithful in hardship, while in reality, many congregants live in joy, even abundance. Against this condition, there is almost no strong call to remain faithful amid joy. If such calls are made, they are usually limited to appeals to keep worshiping and not abandon God. There is no clear, strong concept of how to live faithfully amid joy. Even joy, prosperity, and secure identity are often seen as signs of God’s blessing. People living in such conditions are regarded as faithful and will remain so to God.
Yet comfortable conditions are a latent threat to Christianity. Without romanticizing suffering—as if Christians must always live in pain—we need to recognize that Christians may experience comfort but must not be swallowed by it. One must consciously and vigilantly guard the heart against becoming intoxicated by the pleasures and feasts of prosperity, as warned in Luke 21:34. The heart must stay alert, because comfort can gradually erode faithfulness. More frighteningly, one can be unfaithful to God with the world without realizing it, while still feeling they are in the Lord.
One way to preserve faithfulness amid joy and good circumstances is to give oneself to serve the Lord. Someone who has attained prosperity, security, and the ability to solve their own problems should deliberately occupy themselves with “other people’s problems.” In other people’s problems, we find God’s work. The phrase “other people’s problems” has a broad meaning, in accordance with God’s calling for each person: for example, being actively involved in church ministry, supporting frontline servants of God, or helping those in need of a helping hand.
Thus, a person will not be lulled by the comfort God allows them to enjoy. Instead, they use that comfort or privilege to serve God. This is a concrete way to maintain faithfulness amid joy.