This is a NO COMFORT zone!

Recently I was reminded of something I read not long ago about how God often takes us out of our comfort zones, so He can do things through us that go outside what we thought we were capable of doing. In turn, He receives all the glory for what was accomplished. I know for me, it is also when I'm most uncomfortable that I tend to seek Him and rely on Him the most.

Now I don't know about you, but I like to be comfortable! I like to sleep in an extra comfortable bed with two egg crates and soft sheets, I like to come home and change into comfortable clothes after a day at work, and I like to find comfort in people that I'm close with. There are a million ways I purposely try to be comfortable. However, there is something to be said for being uncomfortable too! When I'm comfortable, I'm usually pretty satisfied and less inclined to take action. When I'm comfortable, I don't really need to depend on anyone else for much. Yet this can be a stumbling block in my walk with Christ, because He did not call me to a life of comfort. He called me to a life of hard work and service for His kingdom! He called me to a life of hardship but abundancy through His blessings and power.

For the most part, I feel like I lead a pretty comfortable life. As I mentioned earlier, I seek out comfort in a hundred different ways. I have a nice apartment, a good car, a steady and low stress job, food to eat, etc... the list goes on. However, there is one area of my life that has been uncomfortable for me for years now. It is also, however, the one of the main things that has caused me to rely on God more and more with each passing year.

God is well known for calling people to live outside their comfort zones. He called Abraham to leave all he knew. He called Moses, who was terrified to speak in front of Pharoah, to approach him multiple times. The examples are endless. Yet He always accomplished incredible things through His children who were obedient.

God gives a calling, and often that calling is uncomfortable, but I know I need to be willing to embrace the uncomfortable circumstances He has placed me in. The Bible mentions people who responded reluctantly to His calling. One man declared He would follow Jesus wherever He went, but he said he must go say goodbye to his family first. Another refused to leave his riches when Jesus asked him to first go and sell all he had. But I want to be like Isaiah when the Lord asked, "Whom shall I send?" and Isaiah responded quickly, "Here am I. Send me!" I want to be willing to venture out into my uncomfortable circumstances with a willingness to go wherever He sends me.

I also find comfort in the knowledge that God never calls us to do or face anything alone. God said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). So I am learning to find joy in being uncomfortable! “With God all things are possible!”