Living Outside Your Comfort Zone

Cliff-jumping, parachuting, repelling, bungee jumping: for most people, these might all be just a bit outside their comfort zone. Accomplishing any of these means taking a step into the unknown. Your heart is pounding, your eyes are wide open (or squeezed tightly shut, as the case may be) and your mind is negotiating with your body.

Eleanor Roosevelt said it concisely, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” It is easy to become comfortable in our everyday life and faith. I am challenged by the lives of some of the common people I read about in scripture who stepped out of their comfort zones.

• Deborah stepped up to lead when all the men were too timid. She was quick to point out to Barak (whom she helped to lead) that this was about God’s deliverance and power. Judges 4:14
• David volunteered to fight Goliath. He was stepping out of his comfort zone for God’s honor. He rested in the confidence of God’s power and previous deliverance from a lion and bear.

1 Samuel 17:37

• Esther never pictured herself as the person God would use to deliver her nation. She simply was available to God’s sovereign plan even at the potential cost of her own life. Esther 4:16
• Paul was constantly put into adverse situations. To say that this man chose to allow God to push him out of his comfort zone is an understatement! However, his ultimate desire was to know Christ regardless of the cost.

Philippians 3:10

As I have watched people in all walks of life make a difference in their sphere of influence, I have noticed a pattern. People who choose to live outside their comfort zones are not necessarily people of position or power but often ordinary people who are tired of the status quo. They appear to come to a place where they wrestle with some form of the following questions:

1. Why Not?

Facing their fears -and the endless doubts – they walk to the edge and ask, “Why not?” There comes a time when you have to act by faith in order to take the first step. Dr. Crawford. W. Loritts Jr. refers to it this way.

“He delights in using what you surrender to Him. His assignments will require you to operate outside of your areas of strength, out of your comfort zone. God will put you in situations where you have no choice but to rely on His miraculous power, strength, and intervention. The fact is that leaders are always in over their heads.”

2. What’s Next?

You will never know the answer to this question as long as you stay in your “safe-place.” To discover what’s next, you have to move out of your comfort zone. The reality is this: it will always cost you something.

“All dreams are outside our comfort zone. Leaving that zone is a price we must pay to achieve them.”  John Maxwell

I think C. S. Lewis has a good reminder for us as well about paying a price for moving outside our comfort zones. This may not bring us comfort – but it should at least cause us to think.

“Don’t let your happiness depend on something you may lose.”  

3. Who’s in Control?

At some point we have to realize this is not about our goals, desires and plans. Ultimately, we relinquish ownership to God, casting our inability upon Him to accomplish the task.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that in our weakness, we see the power of God displayed. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

I wish I could take credit for all the exciting things that have happened in my life and ministry over these many years. The truth is most of the exciting moments of my life have happened outside my comfort zone! What about you?