Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Climbing Out of Your Comfort Zone!

We are all aware of what a Comfort Zone is. A Comfort Zone is that place in which we operate on auto pilot … the place of sameness, no stress, low risk, and predicted behavior. Each of us in our own little way has been caught up in a Comfort Zone at one time or another. Some of us are still our CZ’s of life. Some of still do things the same way we have always done them … we travel in familiar crowds with familiar people, we have the same friends, dine at the same restaurants, hang out in the same hang out spots … Yes, we have our Comfort Zones. We go the same meetings, discuss the same things, address the same problems, come up with the same solutions, and wonder why there’s no movement in our lives. Because of being stuck in a Comfort Zone.
You see, when you’re in a CZ, you’re in a spot that requires very little effort to maintain … it requires very little exertion to keep it going … very little energy to make it through the day. But in life, there will come a time when it becomes paramount to break out, crawl out … climb out of your Comfort Zone! Life has a way of bringing you to the edge of your Comfort Zone then it’s up to you to both stretch your mind and experience the “cross-over” or to stay there in your safe, secure, and comfortable place. But be mindful of the fact that if you choose to stay in your Comfort Zone, you may never achieve the greatness that God has in store for each and every one of us today. 

If you have ever flown on an airplane you know that although the airplane is comfortable on the ground, it is not meant to stay on the ground! When the plane leaves the runway and enters the lower atmosphere it experiences a great amount of stress and pressure. The good thing is that the aircraft is built for just for that purpose! (You know God made you; designed you; structured your mind, body and soul not to break!!) And as it breaks through the clouds to get you to your destination, you may experience turbulence which at times is uncomfortable, but again, the plane was built to withstand it! Moving higher will always take effort and with effort comes risk, and with risk comes stress, but if we are to make our destination it means leaving that comfort zone and stretching to the next!

I believe that was part of the Apostle Paul’s message to Timothy in 2 Tim. 1:7 “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” He didn't want Timothy to get stuck and complacent in his life and ministry and get paralyzed by fear! The Christian today must realize that with Jesus there is no Comfort Zone we ought not to be able to climb out of …

But there are a few things we must understand … it’s gonna take a few things on our part! Get these three ... It’s going to take us being uncommon, doing the unusual, and embracing the uncharacteristic.  

Uncommon … Look at Zacchaeus – Luke 19 … a small man with a big problem … he was stuck in a Comfort Zone of his own doing … a tax collector, a traitor of his own people, a sell-out, rich by extortion and greed … he wanted to move out but couldn’t, no body welcomed the tax man, no one cared for him … But then he met Jesus … Something happens when a man knee deep in his Comfort Zone meets Jesus … he can’t stay in his Comfort Zone no matter how he got there … he heard Jesus was coming, climbed up the Sycamore tree to get a better look … he climbed up … he went up, he had to get to a better vantage point to see Jesus … when he went up to see Jesus and Jesus looked up to see Zacchaeus, Jesus said Zacchaeus come on down! You see, Zacchaeus needed help … no one would help him but Jesus … sometimes we need help and won’t open our mouths … We won’t admit that the drama in our lives (often caused by our twisted decision making process) is killing us! And we’re like a car on the side of the road, broke down and yet for some reason we refuse to turn on our hazard lights, and folk just pass us by who have the power to help us! Yes, Zacchaeus wanted out and he wasn’t ashamed – he did that which was uncommon and found the help he needed to climb out of his comfort zone of loneliness and dejection!

Unusual - Then look at the woman at the well – John 4 … she was in her own little world, her own Comfort Zone, she was there not by choice but by confession … you see when Jesus spoke to her, her first response was one of confession “Why are you a Jew asking anything of me, you know y’all don’t have anything to do with us” She confessed the stigma placed on her when she said those words! She was used to being treated with contempt by the Jews and her lifestyle didn’t help the cause either. You see she was stuck in the Comfort Zone of low living and sordid behavior … she was trapped in the Comfort Zone of disapproval and bigoted thinking … she was wedged in the Comfort Zone of looking for a good time and longing for love! Now she meets Jesus … and something happens when a woman meets Jesus! She has the opportunity to change her whole way of living and worship! She has the opportunity to step climb out of her Comfort Zone into the Stretch Zone. All she has to do is take what Jesus is offering her! That water … that living water! She now has the opportunity to become what she needs to become … to be seen the way she wants to be seen and to worship in a way that matters to God! The bible says she dropped her water pots … left her comfort zone … and went into the city with a message of Hope! You see she would never be the same again! No you can’t keep a person in a zone once they realize the greatness and fulfillment they can have in Jesus!
Many of us are still in our comfort zones because we refuse to accept what Jesus has to offer … Jesus offers a “well of water springing up everlasting life.” He wants us to “worship God in Spirit and in truth.” He wants our praise and adoration of Him! Many in our world have refused to take what Jesus offers for fear of what the family will say; what our friends will say; or what our fellowship will say! This woman wasn’t worried about that! She was ready to climb, crawl, scratch her way out of the well and unfulfilled life!

Uncharacteristic - Then take a look at the man with the Palsy in Mark 2 … It was noised that Jesus was in the house … everybody was trying to get to Jesus … that’s what I love about this story – they all wanted to get to Jesus! But there was no more room in the house! The bible says there was this one man that was sick … he wasn’t just sick, but he was sick with the Palsy – a terrible disease – he couldn’t walk … and he was carried by four men. They tried to get through the door, but no luck, they tried the window but no luck. So they had to climb out of the comfort zone of complacency and normalcy … they had to climb out of the comfort zone of accepting things are the way they are … they had to climb out of the comfort zone of “ain’t nothing we can do!” … they had to leave all that on the floor and climb up on that house and know a whole in that roof! They did what they had to do to get their friend to Jesus! It didn’t matter to them at that time that they would be looked upon as crazy, unconventional, unusual, etc. No, the comfort zones that day were broken wide open and guess what? They got their friend to Jesus! And when we are truly interested in getting our family and friends – even our enemies to Jesus, we’ll let nothing keep us in a comfort zone!

Brethren, there are far too many children and young people that need Jesus … far too many wayward youth and misdirected young adults that need to get to Jesus … to God … to the church of Christ! There are way too many drug addicted men, and mischaracterized women that need to get to God! The government is making it harder and harder to help our folk so we have to climb out of our comfort zones of comfortable buildings and plush seats and get into the hood and help our folk realize the dream of a better life … and that better life begins with a relationship with Jesus! 

Even in our everyday lives! Think of your dreams and goals! Think of that place in your life where you want to be; where you should be; where you ought to be … you Can achieve those goals! Be UnCommon! Be UnUsual! Be UnCharacteristic! 


-         
 TheClueFromLeu 

Saturday, September 28, 2013

What will you leave them?


Whenever I’m reminded of the film “The Lion King” I’m always drawn to the part in the photo above where Simba comes to the reality that Mufasa is dead. (Someone posted this picture on FaceBook for something and it caught my attention and now you are reading a new CLUE after several months - that's how it works sometimes!)  I remember this movie so well because it was the first theater movie we took our oldest son to (that he didn’t holler through ... we never made it through The Body Guard - lol). When he was a toddler we would act out the scenes and the one we played out the most was the revelation from Scar that “I killed Mufasa!” and he attempted to throw Simba from the cliff.  That was a nearly two decades ago – wait – yes that’s right – praise break … thank you Lord for life and health! Okay, back to business … Yes that was close to twenty years ago but again the scene in the photo above always grabs me in my soul.

One day the inevitable (death) will arrive for all of us. One day a loved one will say “please come back!” If you are blessed to grow to an age where you leave loved ones (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren … little Simbas), have you considered what you will leave them? ). The bible declares that a good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children (Proverbs. 13:22). So what will you leave them? Money? Land? Material possessions, etc? While those things are commendable and quite necessary; I believe what matters more is not what you leave for them but what you leave in them!  Sure, we all want to leave some tangible items and heirlooms for our children and loved ones, but which is a greater gift, what you leave for them or what you leave in them?

The Apostle Paul was certain that young Timothy’s mother & grandmother left a “faith deposit” within him. (2 Timothy 1:5) He was aware that something bigger than Timothy was “dwelling” in him and that he would be able to survive in the days after Paul’s departure. During these days of swift movement in that direction, I reflect on those “Lion King days” and how the cub was able to find his way back home because of what was “inside” of him. Because of that which was in him he was able without hesitation to take his rightful place as King! I trust that when my time comes, the faith that I instill in my Simba x3 (three sons) is strong enough for them to pass on to their children so they can continue the line of greatness I’ve set for them.

TheClueFromLeu ®

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Remember Mother!


Commentary- As we prepare joyfully to celebrate the dedication of Mother, let us be reminded of a mother’s grief as she mourns one of or perhaps her only child. I’m speaking in regard to the recent tragedies that have occurred in this country. few months ago, the nation once again was shocked and devastated as another senseless massacre of human life was carried out on innocent school children at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut. Many hopes and dreams were cut short in that town and it only serves once again to teach and remind us of how precious and fragile life is. Even as we consider the bombing attack in Boston just a few short weeks ago, the sentiments are the same. Whether the life was that of a precious child or adult, we know someone’s Mother’s Day is ruined or saddened to say the least. And really it has affected all of our Mother’s Days because we are all somehow connected in this race called life and what happens elsewhere could very easily happen here in our cozy atmosphere.
So on this Mother’s Day, let us pause and pray for peace and comfort for the children-less parents and for the mother-less children as well.
On this Mother's Day - MD, let us look to the hills from which comes our help …
On this MD, let us seek to improve any faulty or dying relationships we may be nursing at the moment …
On this MD, let us consider God’s word and its power not only to save but to heal our wounded spirits that are often affected by the slight and wickedness of men …
On this MD, let us remember that God has promised in His word that “all things are possible to them that believe” and take Him at his word …
On this MD, let us restore broken relationships within our families and church family … God still calls us to be ministers of reconciliation …
On his MD, let us revisit the goodness and favor God has had on our lives … God has been good to us … God’s favor and light has shined on upon us time and time again … he has extended the lease on our lives by at least one more day … over night, many leases have been stamped “expired”; the death angel has come to repossess the spirit/life … But God. 
So on this MD, we ought to praise Him – we ought to magnify His Holy name – we ought to life up our voices, raise our hands and give to whom honor is due! First and foremost, it is due God; then of course it is due to the woman we affectionately call Mother/Momma/MeMaw/Mom/Nana, etc …
We thank God for all mothers … those with us in the flesh and those who have gone on to rest and awaiting the final call of the master.
Peace,
TheClueFromLeu