You Love the Verses That Make You Feel Good, But You Ignore the Ones That Cut Deep
Everybody loves the Scriptures that comfort. The ones that tell you you’re chosen. That you’re loved. That God has a plan for your life. And those verses are true. They matter. They’re beautiful. But here’s the thing: you can’t just cling to the promises without also submitting to the correction.
Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you. And yet you skip past Luke 9:23 where Jesus says, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
You post Philippians 4:13—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, but you scroll right past Galatians 5:24: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
You love Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation…”, but ignore Hebrews 12:6: “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.”
You want John 3:16 but not Matthew 7:21, where Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…”
You quote Psalm 23 but don’t want to talk about Psalm 51, where David cries out in repentance for his sin.
You don’t get to follow a feel-good Jesus. You follow a crucified one. A risen one. A holy one. A just one. A Savior and a Judge.
The Word of God is not a buffet where you get to pick only what tastes sweet and leave the rest on the table. The same Word that comforts also convicts. The same Spirit that encourages also rebukes.
Some of us want to be encouraged but not transformed. Inspired but not instructed. Forgiven but not accountable.
But real faith is built in the tension between grace and truth. You can’t grow in Christ if you only listen to what makes you feel good. Growth comes through pruning. Through fire. Through correction. Through conviction.
So ask yourself: Do you love the whole Word of God, or just the parts that don’t confront your lifestyle?
Because if you’re only reading the Scriptures that make you feel better, but ignoring the ones that call you higher, you’re not worshiping God. You’re worshiping comfort. And comfort never changed anyone. Conviction did.
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