Living Outside Your Comfort Zone Devotional

Read This: Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:7-9)

Think: Who doesn’t love to be comfortable? We devote our time, money, and energy keeping it that way. If it’s hot in the summer I turn on the AC. If it’s cold in the winter I crank up the heat, lest I begin to feel uncomfortable. My closest friends tend to be those I feel the most comfortable around. And there’s nothing wrong with being comfortable—the problem is when we become too comfortable. God didn’t create us just to be comfortable. He calls us to live for something much bigger.

Relationships are the hardest area for me to be stretched in. It’s easy to get so caught up with my circle of friends that I don’t make room for anyone new. Maybe I had an opportunity to share God’s love with someone struggling with loneliness, or maybe it was a chance for me to be challenged by a fresh perspective and new insight. If I don’t connect with a person right away, it’s easy to move on without noticing that person’s needs or thinking of how I can minister in that situation. My instinct isn’t always to have a new family at church over for dinner or call up an old friend I’ve lost touch with just to say hi, but maybe it should be. Life’s not about what’s easy and comfortable for me.

The same is true for ministry at church. As part of the body of Christ we are called to get involved. But what if there aren’t any needs in my particular area of expertise? Instead of only looking to get involved in the areas we feel most comfortable in or “called to” as some put it, why not ask what the most pressing needs are and fill those even if it’s not our first choice. Luke 10:2 says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” To follow Christ’s example is to become servants and allow Christ to use us in unexpected ways.

It’s easy to get into a routine that quickly becomes a rut. We can be so focused on our lives that we never even look up to see if God is bringing something new our way. God has a better plan than any of us could ever imagine. But that probably means getting messy sometimes. Getting our hands dirty in relationships and in ministry is hard work. But out of that mess the beauty of God’s redemptive work on earth is revealed.

Ask: Do you like your life? I hope the answer is yes, but then I ask, do you like your life a little too much? Are you resistant to new situations and challenges?

Pray: Ask God to open your eyes to new opportunities to be stretched in your faith. Also ask for the courage and strength to leave your comfort zone and follow him wholeheartedly.