As Christians, our lives were never meant to be lived in comfort zones. God has placed within each of us a gifting with which we are to change our world around us. Recently, I finished reading Restore the Roar by Pat and Karen Schatzline (It’s an amazing book about not letting fear stop you). One quote in the book stood out to me. They said, “Comfort can be the enemy of vision and purpose.” Often, we get in our routine, and it becomes easy to get comfortable. In the past couple of weeks, my comfort zone was shaken.
At my job, I’ve got it pretty easy. We see a manageable number of patients. There’s a lot of down time which I use to work on other things (like these blog posts). I remember thinking the other day, “Man, I could get used to this”. Not long after, things changed very quickly. My company went through several personnel changes, and my department was not spared. I became nervous as feelings of uncertainty flooded my mind. Instability makes for a poor work environment and I started weighing out my options. One of my passions is nutrition and weight loss management. I’ve always wanted to work in a field where I could education patients on living healthier lifestyles. Most of these jobs require additional certification. With the down time at work, it was on my to-do list. Months passed with excuse after excuse, and here we are a year later with no certification. With my comfort zone shaken, I remembered my goal. It was as if a new fire was lit underneath me.
A biblical example of this can be found in the story of Esther. She literally went from rags to riches. Esther had grown up an orphan, but God elevated her to the position of queen. Years passed as Esther enjoyed a life of comfort. Her Jewish kinsmen were being persecuted but she remained safe inside the palace walls. At least, she thought she was safe. Her uncle, Mordecai, reminded her of her purpose. God placed her in office for this moment. So, Esther had a choice. She could remain comfortable or she could proceed with the purpose God had for her life.
There will always be some sort of risk associated with pursuing something new. For me, cost was the biggest factor. What is it for you? Ultimately, it goes back to trust. Do we trust God? Will we risk getting out of our comfort zone? In the end, God has an amazing plan for your life. He has things that He wants to bring in this world through you. But its up to you to get out and do something. Don’t let comfort keep you hiding behind palace walls.
Be encouraged!
Scripture References: Romans 8:19 (NIV) “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”
Esther 4:14 (NLT) “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a times as this?”
Amos 3:8 (MSG) “The lion has roared—so who isn’t frightened? The Sovereign Lord has spoken—so who can refuse to proclaim his message?”
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