Have We Stepped Out Of Our Comfort Zone?

Majority of people are living in their comfort zone. They prefer to stay within their comfort zone, rather than stepping out of it to the uncharted waters.

Achievement expert Brian Tracy says, “90% to 95% of people will withdraw to the comfort zone when what they try doesn’t work. Only that small percentage, 5 or 10 percent, will continually raise the bar on themselves; they will continually push themselves out into the zone of discomfort, and these are always the highest performers in every field.”

Now this is the same for us as Christians. We, too, have a predilection to stay in our own comfort zone.

One of my favourite speakers, Dr. A.R. Bernard, the founder and CEO of Christian Cultural Center (in Brooklyn, New York – with 30,000 over members), the President of Council of Churches of the City of New York representing 1.5 million Protestants, Anglicans and Orthodox Christians, he who also sits on NYC Economic Development Corporation Board and NYC School Chancellor’s Advisory Cabinet, said, ‘We preach separation, but really we practise isolation.’

He was referring to Christians who do not engage the culture of the world but hide within the four walls of the Church.

In his teaching, ‘Culture – The Church’s Greatest Competitor’ during Asia Conference 2008, he said that ‘Churches want to protect their members. They protect them from the world, which is in fact, isolating them from the people of the world.’

We begin to focus on serving in the Church and we fail to go and impact the world.

By doing so, Churches are actually hindering the growth of their flocks from being the salt and light of the world!

Speaking about protection, some even protect their flocks from experiencing new things in new environments. I guess we have forgotten who the true Protector is – our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, it seemingly appears to be protection, but the truth is, we’re trying to take control of the element of God’s protection. We almost forget that Holy Spirit is living right within us!

Sometimes, our protection precludes a member from experiencing growth in his/her walk with God.

For instance, it is not uncommon to see people leaving Church to another. But if a Church member decides to leave his/her Church to another in order to fulfill the call of God in his/her life, why do we feel so uptight about it? Are we more concerned about losing the numbers or the call of God in the person’s life? Does our protection hinder his/her growth or help his/her growth?

Unless the person totally cuts himself/herself off from a community, we should rejoice that he/she is growing in another environment! Because what we truly desire to witness is life transformation of an individual, instead of life incrementation!

Over-protection hinders growth.

Moving back to the topic, many Churches are staying in their comfort zone. We already have plenty of Churches in the world and plenty of them desire to plant plenty of Churches. Yet only a few will stop focusing on building ministries in Church and start going out beyond the four walls to impact the society.

Why do we prefer to stay in our comfort zone?

Because it is safe to be among Christians. It is safe to be with the people we know. We want to be with like-minded people. We are afraid of getting hurt. The truth is – we are fearful of failures!

For example, we struggle a great deal in making a decision. Yes, it’s good to pray and fast. But some even ask for signs and wonders!

Joyce Meyer, in her teaching, ‘God’s Timings and His Ways’, said, ‘We need three prophecies, three trumpet blasts, five thunders and lightnings, two appearances of angels before we make a decision! ‘

We can have a good laugh about it. But there are many out there who are really seeking for signs and wonders because they are so afraid of failures.

If we pray and think that it is from God, then we should just move on!

Some may ask, ‘How do I know if it is really from God?’

You will never know if you never try…

Some continue, ‘What happens if it is wrong?’

Then it is wrong! But you learn to hear God better next time.

If we never try, we will never grow in hearing God.

Even if we were to make a mistake, as long as our heart motive is pure, God is able to make the best out of it.

‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.’
– Rom 8:28 ESV

Christianity is about taking risk for Christ. It’s not about us. It’s about Him. When we dare to take the risk for God, He will take care of the results. For He is GOOD and BIG enough.

I have a YWAM Thailand T-shirt that says, ‘If you’re not living on the edge, you’re just taking up space.‘ How true it is…

When I left my career with the Air Force, I took a risk to leave a job which gave me stable income. I was doing well in my career. I had grade A for consecutive years. For practical reasons, I could have stayed, since I have a relationship on hand. I would eventually need to prepare for marriage. But I decided to leave because I felt God spoke to me about going into theology.

Did God really call me into theology? I still believe so… but I missed the timing. Nevertheless, God is BIGGER than my mistake. I was ready to apply for theology when God stopped me and led me to Discipleship Training School with YWAM (Youth With A Missions). I was kinda resistant at the beginning. Then I said, ‘God, I will do it as long as You call me to do so.’

Faith involves risk.

So I took the risk to go, despite being discouraged by others. But by the grace of God, I have learnt and experienced a great deal of things that I would never have had if I were to remain in my comfort zone!

Albert Einstein said, ‘Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.’

‘Failure means that we have successfully learnt a new way that doesn’t work.’
– Anonymous

God is BIGGER than our mistakes and failures. He is ABLE to turn our mistakes into the fulfillment of His intended purpose. He is totally sovereign. He is our Jehovah HaGoel, our REDEEMER. Hallelujah!

Joseph said, ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’
– Gen 50:20

‘But I have raised you (Pharaoh) up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’
– Exo 9:16

Coming back to the comfort zone, from my personal outlook, it is measurable to our stewardship as Christ-followers. In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), the servant, who did not work on the one talent which he was given by the master, responded, ‘I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.’
– Matt 25:25 (ESV)

The New Living Translation says, ‘I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

The servant was afraid of losing the one talent. He was not willing to step out of his comfort zone. He would rather have the one talent with him, than to invest and lose it.

This is the kind of attitude we have. ‘Better-safe-than-sorry’ attitude. We want to live a comfortable life; stay in a cosy hut; have a stable income; build a family and then retire to live a simple and unperturbed life. This is NOT the life that we, as Christians are called to live! I name this as ‘bad stewardship’.

Abraham was told to leave his comfort zone.

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”
– Gen 12:1 ESV

Jacob was blessed and given a responsibility because he left his comfort zone.

“…you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
– Gen 28:14 ESV

Moses led Israel out of Egypt because he (finally) stepped out of his comfort zone.

“So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
– Exo 3:10

Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land because he was willing to take risk for God.

‘And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'”
– Jos 1:10-11 ESV

The list just goes on and on…

Leaving our comfort zone shows that we make a decision out of faith, not fear. To the degree that we trust God, to the degree we are willing to leave our comfort zone. Our values are shown by how we live them out, not what we think we believe in.

Faith involves risk.

Hence, if we are not willing to leave our comfort zone because we are afraid of failures, the truth is, we do not really trust in God’s character. We do not really know Him. Yes, we can say verbally that we trust God, but our actions will show if we really trust Him or not.

Attached are links to two short videos about trusting God and stepping out of our comfort zone to grow in Him.

Trust And Fall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9sPVwmbBD4&feature=PlayList&p=97378662513B40CC&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=18

Balance Beam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_uwWPE6lQ

Therefore, let’s leave our comfort zone and encounter God in a new dimension. Pray and go into any new environment where rivers of revelations are waiting for you. Things of God do not just come to you. If you are physically hungry, you will get food to fill your stomach. If you are spiritually hungry, you gonna go and seek it!

We need to have a ‘Gen-Y’ attitude.

‘Generation Y or Millennial Generation (1980-1994) is confident, ambitious and achievement-oriented. They seek out new challenges and are not afraid to question authority. Generation Y wants meaningful work and a solid learning curve.‘

Christianity today must be MORE than yesterday.

May God help us.

Source:
Generation Y
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y
Characteristics of Gen Y
http://legalcareers.about.com/od/practicetips/a/GenerationY.htm
Climbing Out Of Your Comfort Zone
http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/index.php?itemid=40

~ by Wilson Barnabas Koh on Friday, September 4, 2009.