"No Comfort" Zone
And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.It's okay to be uncomfortable. Christ followers should actually expect to be challenged? - Luke 9:23
Believers have gifts and talents that God grants so that we can minister within the church. But, none of us would dream of utilizing those gifts and talents only in the areas where we feel most comfortable.
In other words, if I've been given the gift of teaching and I like being with adults, does that mean I only teach adults. Or, if I've been given the gift of helps should I only care and empathize with those in the body of Christ? Of course not. We understand that Jesus is our Lord; therefore, He gets to choose when and where we use our gifts and talents.
Comfort zones are good things, in that, they offer us a time to build confidence and momentum; but, they're also dangerously elegant at lulling us into a sense of self-satisfaction and sufficiency.
So, if we sometimes find ourselves being challenged on a foreign mission trip, or a local prison ministry, or in simply sharing Christ with guy or gal next door because it's "outside of our comfort zone" praise God!
What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. - Philippians 2:12-13 (The Message)
No, crosses aren't built for comfort; but they get us where we need to be; surrendered.
I found that once I stepped out of my comfort zone, it was then that I began to grow. Challenge yourself, take the step and see what God can do.
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