Breaking Free from the Trap of Comfort
Do you struggle to break out of your comfort zone? I don’t know about you, but my answer is definitely a resounding yes. This is something God has brought to my attention in recent months. In western culture, we have been blessed to have many comforts in our lives. My question to you is how do you think this has affected us? Personally, I believe we have become crippled by our comforts. There is danger in becoming comfortable.
Comfort can keep us stuck where we are. We are never meant to stay in the same place, especially as Christians. Life is about growing and discovering as we experience the world around us. This doesn’t happen within our comfort zones. Recently, I have been called to lead a mission that is definitely outside of my comfort zone. I have been asked to lead a women’s conference in a foreign country. This is something I have never done before. The country I have been called to doesn’t support Christianity. In fact, it is illegal. My friends over there, however, have told me their government has become more lax on its view of Christianity in recent years. To top it off, I was also told there will be lots of hiking. I haven’t been hiking in years. When this opportunity arose, there was fear that wanted to creep into my mind. I was blessed when God gave me the phrase “obedience over comfort.”
With all the hiking that is in my future, I have had to start training physically and more intensely than I ever have before. In the training, there is plenty of discomfort. This discomfort is necessary in the present to prepare me for what I need to do in the future. I have the choice to walk through this period of discomfort so that I may fulfill what God has for me. We all have this same choice. In the Bible, we are promised persecution when we follow Christ ( 2 Timothy 3:12 and John 15:18). Persecution is not comfortable. So how do we deal with it? Persecution and discomfort are the signs that God is refining you. The pressure and heat you experience in certain situations allow you to see yourself in the purest way. The discomfort isn’t just about how others see you, but the truth of where you are in Christ. How deep are your roots? When we endure discomfort, others can be encouraged by how we walk through our trials with Christ as we stay rooted in Him.
See, God had called me to this area, and it wasn’t revealed to me as a question. God told me this is what He has for me. I have had a few people question my going due to the safety concerns. God has shown me this journey will be about walking in obedience. If He calls you to something outside of your comfort zone, He will protect and guide you. The enemy tries to use discomfort as a way to break us. The enemy can’t take away the promises God has given to us. However, the enemy can get you discouraged and make you step away from God’s promises.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but, in my experience, when you are in periods of discomfort it is either right before or as God is doing something big in your life. Don’t allow the pushback to leave you weary or discouraged! Keep pushing forward! You don’t know what’s on the other side of this trial, but I can guarantee you that it is good. God plans for you to prosper (Jeremiah 29:11). Whatever struggle you are facing, remember that God is allowing it to happen. If He is allowing it to happen, that is because it will benefit you and His Kingdom in some way. We might not understand why God moves the way He does, but the good news is that we don’t have to understand. We simply need to trust and follow His lead. I encourage you today to lean into the discomfort, and remember that you are not alone.
When I have been in seasons of discomfort, God has shown me a few coping skills to get through. First, take communion. In 1 Corinthians 11:26 (CSB) , we are told “as often as you do this.” How often are you partaking in communion? Second, read Psalms 23 and 91 over yourself daily. These chapters will encourage you to push forward and stay strong in the discomfort. Third, remember that you are not getting through by your own strength. Lean into and increase your time with God because this is where your strength will be renewed. Fourth, write down the promises God has spoken to you. At the bottom of that page, write Numbers 23:19-20. Speak these as declarations over your life. Fifth, pay attention to who you are giving access to your life. If you are in the midst of spiritual warfare, you need a Christian warrior to be by your side. This means you need to find people who will fight for you, and encourage you to stay strong.
References
Holy Bible, Christian Standard Bible. (2017). Holman Bible Publishers.