Moving Past Your Comfort Zone

I like structure and repetition.  I’m comfortable…in my comfort zone.  Unfortunately, the Lord doesn’t seem to care that I like structure and repetition.  Nor does He seem moved by my comfort zone.  As a matter of fact, He’s been moving me out of that comfort zone since the beginning of the year.

I’ve been working for my employer for 6 1/2 years.  During this time, I’ve worked within the same division, with the same group of people, as a business analyst for the same software application.  I’m comfortable.  I know the people.  I know the software.  I know our processes.  I could do my job with my eyes closed.

Apparently, the Lord wants me to open my eyes because He’s restructuring my division, making me learn new software, and opening opportunities for me to work with a new group of people.

Didn’t He hear me say I could do my job with my eyes closed?  Why would He want to disrupt my comfort now?

In addition, I’ve been teaching the Bible for almost 20 years.  I love it, and while I won’t say I could do it with my eyes closed (because that would be prideful!), let’s just say I’m very comfortable teaching the word of God.  I honestly don’t want to do anything else.

And yet here comes the Lord disrupting my comfort once again.

He’s now taking me into an area that, while it’s not necessarily unfamiliar, it takes me out of my comfort zone and requires me to do things I’d rather not.

The next level on my job and in ministry require me to step up to the plate in a greater way.  The next level requires more.

Perhaps God is moving you out of your comfort zone as well and you’re feeling a little anxious about it.  Maybe you recently received a promotion on your job or heard His call to you for ministry.  Perhaps you’re like me and have been in ministry for many years but are discerning His call to something else, something more.

“…for unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask more,” (Luke 12:48, KJV). 

God has entrusted “much” to us – His Holy Spirit.  God knows what we’re capable of.  He knows how much we can handle.  He knows the power and authority that lie within us because He gave them to us.

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verify thou shalt be fed,” (Psalms 37:3).

The word “trust” in this verse is the Hebrew word “batach” (see Strong’s H982).  That word means, “to trust, be confident or sure; be bold (confident, secure, sure); put confidence”.  Regardless the new things to which God is taking us, we can be confident, sure, and bold because He is with us and He has promised to never leave nor forsake us (Psalm 37:25).  Stepping out of our comfort zones do not have to be scary.  Indeed, we should step out of our comfort zones boldly with great expectation, confident that the Lord will make a way for us in this new place, in this new season, in our new zones.

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert,” (Isaiah 43:19). 

Trust the Lord, trust His timing, and trust His plan for your life.  God knows what He’s doing.  You were chosen and are ready for such a time as this (see Esther 4:14).

~Aretha