My Comfort Zone: Grow Up Or Continue To Wallow?



I'm writing this from an emotionally exhausted place! GEEZ! You know how every month you just become extra emotional? Just me? Shrug. Add that monthly event to all else that I have going on, and you have me- in a prolonged emotionally wrecked state. I admit it. I'm literally falling apart over here.

Last September when my sister AKA BFF4L got engaged, the Lord told me that it was time to walk out of my comfort zone. "Barely" heeding the warning, I am now faced with less than 1 month until my sister gets married, forever altering our BFFship (And yes, I know, it's easy to say, "Noooo, it won't change." But let's be honest... when 2 people biblically are called to forsake everything else and cleave to each other, that's going to bring about some drastic changes. I'm in the "forsake everything else" category lol).

When it rains, doesn't it pour? I mean, really. I've had a lot going on these last 2 weeks and at the root of it is that God is pushing me out of my comfort zone, and I'm stubbornly refusing it. The funny thing is, God doesn't care about our stubbornness lol. I'm sure it's comical to Him. "You, who I created, refuse to do what I'm telling you to do? Yeah, we'll see." I'm sure that's what He's saying to me. You know what the old folks say, "You want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans."

When God wants to take us somewhere in life, there's 2 ways it happens: 1) We willingly submit and walk alongside with Him as He leads us. 2) He drags us there, somehow, kicking and scream.

I, my friends, am currently experiencing number 2.

I should have submitted, bit the bullet, and prayerfully sacrificed my will for His, but refusing to do so, I'm now seeing God pretty much rip every single comfort zone from me. Like, my comfort zones under my comfort zones lol. (I'm over here like, "Really, God? Even that person? Even that thing? Can I keep one comfort zone please?")

Have you ever been sleep, like that GOOOOODDD sleep in the fetal position, hugging on to the covers and someone rips the covers from you? Just me again? Whenever my mom or sister used to pull covers off of me, I would stomp and growl... Finding another cover to put on me because I felt exposed.Yeah, you know what I mean! LOL. That's what I envision going on with me and God spiritually right now.

 Can I be honest? I am actually extremely meek and temperate shy. While it may be easy for me to grab my computer, type my inner thoughts, and expose them to the cyber world, the thought of doing the same face-to-face with others is downright frightening. Aside from my closest set of friends, which seems to shrink smaller and smaller as the years go by, I struggle to make new friends. At any social event or gather, I first, drag my sister there with me and then hide behind her; creepishly (That's me right there... The creep from Hey Arnold, unfortunately) invading her conversations in hopes that I can chime in, much like waiting for a turn in double dutch lol. My sister is the extroverted, outgoing one, while I've been the shadow and am growing more and more comfortable being the introverted one. LOL seriously- don't even feel bad for me? I'm so okay with it. When you know your niche, you operate in it lol.

After refusing to use my time wisely, spread my wings, and grow in a peaceful way, God is now forcing me to exit my comfort zone. For the last few years, as I've gone continue to go through my metamorphosis, my sister has been my ride or die; now she's getting married, which comes with obvious changes when it comes to schedules and time to devote to sisterly shenanigans. My other friend, who would be the next person I cling to when my sister is gone, is now a new mother with a newborn at home, so the schedule limits there are without question. The relationships that I would habitually run to out of familiarity and comfort... yeah, they've shut the door and put the CLOSED sign out. In fact, it must be a revolving door, because it seems that they come back around periodically to remind me that the door has closed lol. Another close friend, my comfort zone under my comfort zones, pretty much called me out on using people to avoid growth and change. OUCH. I have yet to learn to appreciate friends that tell me about myself. Sometimes Always, it's just too soon to actually have someone read you and call you out.

Originally, I titled this article "Exiting My Comfort Zone", but as I near the end, I realized that I can't quite say I'm exiting my comfort zone. I have acknowledged the issue, but implementing the solutions- not there yet.

But can I encourage myself and any one else in this predicament? I sat and had quiet time with the Lord and here's what He placed on my heart.



No one ever did anything great for God wallowing in their comfort zone; being willingly mediocre. God has placed GREAT purpose in His children; way too much for us to just wade and There is always a higher dimension that God can take you to, but to see it, you have to continuously be moving "onward and upward". To be stagnant, knowing that God has more for you is to be utterly disobedient just straight disreSPECKful, rejecting His masterful plan for your life. WOW. Did you ever think that operating in your comfort zone could be sinful? I'm reminded of the verse: "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17) We find ourselves just wallowing at a rest stop, which in turn only prevents us from getting to the next destination. God has helped me overcome great things. I have stood on top of mountains, looking down at just how far He brought me and reflecting on the hurdles I overcame, but I'm realizing now that hiking with God is infinite. If you stay alongside Him and follow His leading, you are continuously going to higher heights with Him, and just when you think you're at the top and you rejoice, He shows you a whole 'nother plateau. WOW! Isn't that just amazing?

At the root of staying in your comfort zone is pride, selfishness, and fear. Full surrenderance to God requires forsaking your own desires and trusting Him to lead you. Can I be honest? That's scary. God's trying to push me to the next place on this infinite hike, and I've unrolled my sleeping bag at the rest stop next to the water cooler, seeking temporary refreshment, looking foolish  (LOL I just got a visual). Staying in your comfort zone, refusing to move, shows lack of faith in God. I'm hurt! If you ask me about my faith in God, I will wave and shout, stomp and praise... YESSS, but if I'm unwilling to move where He wants me to go, I'm lying. My faith can't be strong. Faith is trusting God; "the evidence of things not seen". If my faith is strong, I won't rest in the tangible that God has already given me, but I'll be willing to walk in what He is leading me to and through, even though I can't see where I'm going. It's better to be walking on water with Christ, than sitting in the boat watching, never getting a chance to see if you can do the impossible and walk on water too.



The Holy Spirit then brought some other people to mind from the Bible who had to leave their comfort zones and ended up doing great things:

  • Abraham- In Genesis 12, God told Abraham to leave his home and what he knew behind, to trust God to show him a nation and that he would become great and blessed.
  • Noah- The Bible doesn't clearly state what Noah was doing before God told him to build the ark, but Noah and his family labored for 100+ years to build the ark at a time when floods had never been seen. That takes faith and stepping out of your comfort. I'm not sure if Noah was a professional ark builder, but I doubt it. He had to completely follow the directions of God and trust that God would send the rain, after he and his family worked for years to build the ark.
  • Joseph- Joseph was the beloved son of Jacob. He was completely spoiled and wanted for nothing! He forcibly left the comfort of home, was dealt unfair life cards, but his faith in God led him to be fully restored and greater than he would have been just staying at home under his father. He ended up saving Egypt and the surrounding lands, including his family.
  • Moses- Moses is my main man! I love Moses! In Exodus 3, we can find Moses leading the flock of his father-in-law, quite content I'm sure. He had escaped conviction of murder, left the pompous life of royalty in Egypt, and was completely unknown chillin in the desert. God called him out of the desert to go and rescue His people from bondage. Moses' willingness led to full deliverance of the people of God, and Moses lived to see GREAT miracles of God.
  • Ruth- Ruth was a woman from Moab whose husband, from the house of Bethlehem died. When given the option to stay in Moab, her homeland and comfort, she chose to leave with her mother-in-law Naomi, not even knowing whether or not they would be able to survive. She ends up being obedient to the directions of God, through Naomi, and was restored, giving birth to a child in whose lineage Jesus one day would descend from. WOW!
  • Esther- Esther was a Jewish woman, unbeknownst to her King Ahasuerus who ignorantly signed a decree to kill all of the Jews in his kingdom in order to appease his right hand man Haman. Esther did not have much power in her kingdom and was not allowed in the throne room with the king unless he asked for her. Entering his throne room without being summoned could mean death. She prayerfully stepped out of her comfort zone to talk to the king and saved a whole nation of people that otherwise would have been wiped off the face of the earth.

I literally could go on and on... there's Peter walking on water, Paul and his complete conversion after being a persecutor of the Jews, David's trust in God for his ascension to the throne even though Saul was already king, Daniel's unwillingness to stop praying to God even if it could cause death, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.... On and on. As I reflect on the countless times in the Bible where God called people to leave their comfort zones and the greatness that came from it, I'm ashamed that I'm sitting here struggling to do the same.... These people risked their lives. God's not even calling me to risk my life... Yet I wimp-ishly can't do it. Wow.

Lacing My Hiking Boots,




Dear God, Thank You for never giving up on us. Your grace truly is amazing. I have no reason why You would still seek me and use me after my continuous unwillingness to let go of things and move forward. Help me and anyone who else who struggles in this area to completely relinquish control, trusting You completely for the movements in life. Grow us and guide us, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.











2 Comments

  1. If you aren't stepping ALL over my toes with this one! God TOLD me a long time ago to step out my box and I have purposely avoided people and places like a plague for not wanting to do so. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your journey. You are truly a blessing. Continue to let God use you and God bless.

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  2. I have been fighting getting outside my comfort zone for a long time! The struggle is real, but one day at a time :)

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