What is cozy even?
No, like really. What does cozy mean?
According to Merriam-Webster, some definitions include: enjoying or affording warmth and ease, providing contentment and comfort, and other phrasings that suggest intimacy or closeness. Cozy is a lifestyle choice. The initiative has rallied the girlies together to pursue a life filled with all things feel-good. The philosophy is positive to all appearances, but does God have a different perspective?
Let’s dig a little deeper.
The era of “self-care” has long since arrived, spreading its wings as a cozy manifesto perched on the hills of wellness. Our post-pandemic minds crave peace and stability now more than ever. We search for connection, comfort, and community through daily practices and online interaction. We spend hours absorbed in our most recent “hyper-fixation”, with an intense, obsessive, unrelenting focus on trivial activities.
We drench ourselves in the illusion of cozy as the means to survive…an inevitable reality. Cozy has become a proud flag to combat complex emotions, but it doesn’t have to be. God has offered us a sustainable pathway to freedom.
Our Path to Connection
If you could see humanity spread out in time, as God sees it, it would look like one single growing thing—rather like a very complicated tree. Every individual would appear connected with every other.”
― C.S. Lewis
God’s design for mankind is unique. He describes us as fearfully and wonderfully crafted, created in his image. He explains that we are one by his spirit, many members of the same body, and branches bearing fruit from his divine vine. We were created to worship God and dwell in his presence.
By considering the fullness of God’s word, it is evident that we have a natural longing to be connected with our Creator. It is only through God’s love that we can feel the sincere acceptance and community we desire to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
The camaraderie we experience with our fellow cozies is special indeed, but it is also fickle. Relationships founded on secular norms are often based on set conditions. As our interests change, so does our ability to relate to members of our designated hobby groups. Conflict, differing opinions, and other real-world challenges can quickly break the bonds we build through the shared pursuit of cozy.
God assures us that nothing can separate us from his love. The connection we experience with him is the only enduring pathway to true closeness and intimacy.
Romans 8:38-39
Warm and Comfy Feels
The cozy community is made up of all things _____? You fill in the blank.
Did you think of words like warm or comforting?
Perhaps you imagined yourself cozied up in your favorite blanket, drinking a cup of hot chocolate, and reading your favorite book series. Was God included anywhere in this picturesque moment?
We so often surround ourselves with distractions that take our attention away from the God-size hole in our hearts. How can we experience real comfort without the comforter? Where does warmth come from if not the light of the entire world? We were created by God and for his pleasure. Without pursuing his purpose for our lives we will ultimately find ourselves discontent and always searching for the next thing.
(Hobby hoarders, yeah I’m looking at you. Hey get that mirror away from me!)
God has granted us the liberty to enjoy ourselves and nurture our gifts for his glory. The imperative is that we remember to consider The Lord in everything we do.
Life is not always the comfiest, but knowing that God is in control of every circumstance gives us an indescribable peace that is unattainable in this world alone.
God’s Grace is Easy
Matthew 11:28-30
God’s grace has been given to us freely. He has laid the foundation for us to live the coziest life, free from guilt and shame. Ease is a common theme in the cozy world, and it is sought after with a do-what-you-feel approach.
Popular culture has affirmed that this mentality is righteous and necessary for self-preservation. God’s approach requires us to trust his sovereign power and value our neighbors just as much as we value ourselves.
A cozy life is not one without challenges or inconveniences. A life with Christ calls for us to de-center ourselves and focus on who God is. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, he blesses us with many of our desires and opportunities to express ourselves.
Until next time
I hope this article has inspired you to reflect on what cozy truly means in your life. God wants for us to prosper and be joyous. May we all pursue his purpose for our lives in the most genuine way we know how.