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
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