The Challenges and Joys of Leaving our Comfort Zone
As I sit at my desk, I am working diligently answering phones and tending to all the bits and pieces that make up my receptionist position. As a young woman, working in a bustling youth ministry is invigorating and I am content serving my Lord in this capacity. For the most part the position is one I can handle easily and I am definitely in a safe, secure zone.
Things changed when a year later one of the directors leaves the organization and the search begins for a replacement. The job requires strong communication skills and making cold calls to ministry contacts. I certainly don’t consider that to be my skill set. Along with the other staff I pray that God would send the person who is right for the job. What I didn’t think would happen is that God answers the prayer… with me.
I feel the Holy Spirit urge me to give the position a try. I, in turn, find a huge number of excuses as to why I am inadequate for such a leadership position. I am a quiet person and having to make contact with so many different churches is a daunting prospect. I want to stay in my comfort zone and this new job is not there.
I can well relate to Moses who was overwhelmed at the task God gave him to lead the Israelites out of bondage. Like me, he had many excuses and reasons for God not to choose him – but God did anyway.
Going to work the next morning I am puzzled as to why God would want me working in an area that doesn’t seem to fit my skill set. I have pretty much assured myself that I will never be a candidate for such a position when my bosses call me into the main office. After enumerating what they consider to be my strong talents for the job – they offer me the position. I want to say no… I try to say no… but I can’t forget the Spirit’s urging me to say yes. And so, I do, believing that if God calls me to this position that He will provide a way for me to handle it.
That director position pushes me out of my normal routine into a whole new pattern of behaviour. I certainly went through many days of self-doubt and fear of failure. But God doesn’t take us out of our comfort zone because we are marvellous – He takes us out of it because He is an awesome God who can help us grow and meet the challenges set before us.
When faced with challenges of getting out of our comfort zones, the book of Philippians has some words of hope and wisdom:
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
It does take courage to leave our comfort zone. I will admit to giving myself pep talks and visualizing my success as some of the coping strategies. But the rewards are great as I stretch myself and learn new things about myself. Both my creativity and productivity increase. I learn a number of management and communication skills that I still put into practice today.
I could have stayed in the receptionist position but I wouldn’t have grown any. Unless we are willing to step out of the zone and challenge ourselves, we stay stagnant. Think of the early disciples. They were totally out of their comfort zone when Jesus sent them out to share the Gospel message. But the Holy Spirit working through them brought about huge transformations in them and the impact they made on human history is immense.
Satan would like us to believe that we don’t have what it takes to leave our comfortable, safe area. He is happy when we are complacent and treading water in a neutral zone. But God calls us to action. The need is great to share the Gospel. There are people out there who can mentor us and help us grown into all that God made us to be. Studying Scripture brings new insights daily. Getting out there with new people and new experiences brings a great sense of satisfaction and immense opportunities for ministry.
At times I still retreat to my comfort zone. Even with past successes in my arsenal I have days when the fear of failure is greater than it should be. Thankfully God continues to nudge me to bigger and better things. Sometimes it is a stretch that I wonder if I can do – but with His help all is possible.
How can you move out of your comfort zone today? God doesn’t expect big steps all the time – taking small steps are a great way to gain confidence and test the waters. You may be surprised at what you are capable of when you challenge yourself. Why not give it a try?
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