VENTURING OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE – Physically and Spiritually. © Sue Found 1995
What about your daily routine? Do you usually stay pretty much within your comfort zone? The campgrounds and trails in Rocky Mountain national Park are crowded with people. Let’s think about what motivates them to give up their comfortable homes and cars for a tent (or camper) and challenging mountain hikes which may lead them outside their comfort zone.
Is it within your comfort zone to:
- Live in a tent, crowded together, with no indoor pluming or hot water
- Get up early in the morning when it’s cold and it would be more comfortable to stay snuggled in your sleeping bag.
- Carry a heavy backpack up a mountain trail
• Push yourself physically up the trail with sea level lungs adjusting to the lower oxygen levels at 9,000 feet
- Continue on when it would be easier to quit
• Patiently wait for the slow ones hi your group or try to catch up with those more swift
Chances are you will be able to identify with one or more of the above, but how would you compare the discomfort to the joys of:
• Mountain scenery, wide open spaces, clear blue or star studded sky and fresh clean air
• Capturing a field of blooming wild flowers, that deer, elk marmot, or coyote on film
• Reaching your destination; that waterfall, lake, glacier, mountain top
As Christians do we ever find ourselves outside our comfort zone:
- When we have an opportunity to share our faith but know that the person we talk to might get angry or challenge us with questions we cant answer
- When we have a chance to show the love of Jesus, but it’s not convenient
• When worldly pleasures tempt us to do something that we know that God has forbidden
Sometimes doing God’s will is within our comfort zone, but sometimes it’s not. What are the joys stepping outside of our comfort zone to serve and obey God?
“When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us, love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.” Galatians 5:22-23
“If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:31-32,36
Even though we know about the rewards of going outside our comfort zone for Jesus, at times we go our own way instead of His way. This is called sin and we need to admit it and ask God to forgive us and help us to do the right thing.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. ‘Philippians2:13
Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterward. Now He is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. Think about all He endured when sinful people did such terrible things to Him, so that you don’t become weary and give up. Hebrews 12:1-3.
Go to Nature Studies menu