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Today just about everything that we buy has some kind of warning label on it. Growing up her parents were always advising a warning us against certain things like not putting a metal item into a light socket or touching a very hot surface or something similar. When we start driving there is another whole set of warnings that we are taught in addition to the ones in the drivers manual. Throughout life are constantly being given choices and regardless of the choice we make that choice has its consequences. These can be either good or bad depending on the choice but once we make that choice we are committed to the results. God in his wisdom has given us a set of guidelines we call the ten Commandments. Again whether we choose to obey or disobey we have a choice. Deuteronomy 30:15-20; says that God Almighty has given man the power to make choices regarding his ultimate destiny. As a free moral agent, man has the awesome responsibility to choose between a hapless, physio-chemical existence with a dead end or a rich and rewarding eternity as a member of God’s Family. When we become comfortable with a certain set of choices that then can become our comfort zone which is where the danger starts.

A comfort zone is defined as “a place or situation where one feels safe or at ease and without stress”, a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries. Such boundaries create an unfounded sense of security. Like inertia, a person who has established a comfort zone in a particular area of his or her life, will tend to stay within that zone without stepping outside of it. To step outside their comfort zone, a person must experiment with new and different behaviors, and then experience the new and different responses that occur within their environment. There are times when we must act beyond our comfort zones; if we stay within our comfort zone, we will never improve or grow. So many people are afraid to get out of their comfort zones because it is a scary proposition. 

Growing up and traveling in North and South America and Puerto Rico I was constantly moving and was always forced to go out of my comfort zone, sometimes to a whole new culture with a different language. It is always scary to face the unknown unless we know that God is always there with us.

Victor Frankl was a Jew that lived in Vienna at the time of the Holocaust. Him and his family were arrested and sent to Auschwitz where they killed his wife immediately. While he was imprisoned he noticed the difference between the way people were handling the situation and eventually wrote a book on it, entitled “In Search of Meaning” after he was rescued by the USA. Frankl’s conclusion seems to be expressed in the following quote.

Victor Frankl said “everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

 

Does the Bible Talk About Comfort Zones?

Throughout Christianity we have developed a lot of traditional comfort zones. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran there has been a lot of new information revealed that either alters or changes the traditions we have celebrated through the centuries.

I was looking through some examples in the Bible of people who stepped out of their comfort zones, and there are SO many. Throughout scripture, God calls ordinary people to do big things. Things outside their comfort zone. And what makes them extraordinary, what makes them our Bible heroes is simply that they obediently stepped out of their comfort zone in faith. They weren’t great men and women. They simply did great things for God in obedience.

 

How Do We Do It? – So How Can We Step Out Of Our Comfort Zone?

1. Pray. Whether it’s talking to someone about Jesus, not going along with the crowd, or taking a risk for the Gospel, ask God to help you overcome the challenges you may face. God will always be there to help you, but He will do it on an as needed basis, like when you are going on a mission in the military. You only get the information critical to the next step but no more. I have found that God works in the very same way, he will guide you one step at a time through the entire process until your mission is complete. Whatever is holding you back, let it go and give it to God. He will always help you through, as long you have total faith in Him! It is a two-way street!!!

2. Tell Someone. Like Cush And I Do.  I think it’s great to tell someone what you want to challenge yourself with. Having someone to be accountable with really helps-they can challenge you and push you to do these things that scare you. They will also be there to encourage you through the real difficult times. I know that may seem a little scary facing a new challenge, but having someone that you trust and that wants the best for you will really help you when you’re stepping out.

3. Remember, It’s A Journey. [like climbing a  mountain], Stepping out of your comfort zone I believe is a gradual thing…it’s not like ‘woohoo, I’m out! Let’s do everything I was too scared to before.’ It’s taking a leap of faith, and step by step, letting God guide the way. He is with us throughout this time, he knows our fears and he hears us. God does not want us to be complacent. Remember Matthew 7:19 that states Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. That does not sound like a good thing in my opinion. 

If we claim to have given our life to Christ and claim to be a Christian we cannot go back to life as usual and go with the flow as the expression goes. The Hebrew word for repentance is to turn around. This means that we must have a complete change in our perspective and outlook on the world. We can be in the world but as Christians we cannot be of the world.

I heard the expression Undercover Christian and it is so appropriate. We are not to be just going through the motions, we have to be active and make a difference. In the sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5: 14-16 it is written;

14.  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15.  nor does {anyone} light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16.  “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

A good place to start in my opinion is with those that are considered loners, are always by themselves, or do not fit into any crowd or group. They probably don’t have many friends so reach out to them be their friends, be there for them as a Christian and a true friend. If we all will start acting as Christians should read that complaining about the status of our country and the world and everybody start in their own area I think we could make a real impact on the world, it’s never too late but time is moving on.