Outside Your Comfort Zone

Comfort zones -- those places where you are most comfortable, those people with whom you are most comfortable, those things with which you are most comfortable.  How did you respond the last time you were called upon or felt led to do something differently?  Stepping outside your comfort zone meant that you’d have to make a change.  How often do you find yourself resisting change?  Resisting doing something differently?  Resisting a move outside your comfort zone?

Consider Esther, the little Jewish girl whose identity was unknown as she married the king of Persia.  As queen, her cousin Mordecai called upon her to go before the king and save her people from destruction.  Facing this life or death challenge, she stepped outside of her comfort zone to go before the king without being called for.  If the king had not held out the golden scepter, she would have been killed instantly.  God moved on her behalf, and the rest is world history.

Consider Nehemiah, a Jewish exile in Persia, whose job was cupbearer to the king.  God purposed in his heart to go to Judah to rebuild the burned walls and broken down gates around Jerusalem.  Endowed with divine favor, Nehemiah stepped outside his comfort zone, received permission from the king to take a long leave of absence, was given considerable resources for the project, and faced great opposition and many trials.   Even so, the rebuilding project was completed in 52 days.  God moved on his behalf, and did more than Nehemiah could ever have asked or imagined.

Choose this day to step outside your comfort zone. Do what God has purposed and planned for you. Understand that if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.