I struggle with this daily, so please note that I'm writing to myself just as much as I am you here.
It's so easy to let ourselves slip into our familiar little routines that we make our lives, and before we know it we're trying to look back on the great things we've done and as we desperately search through our memory for inspiring stories...we're left with blank pages. We begin thinking back to those ordinary days and what possible potential they had to be amazing if we had just, made them. Or maybe those terrifying moments when we felt a strange "tug" to do something completely weird or say something nice to the stranger in Walmart. When we knew it was God whispering, "do it" but we let our "busyness" or flesh and fear crowd our minds instead. Seriously, like, some of my biggest fears. I'm not extroverted or naturally good with people, whatsoever. But that doesn't mean that I should hide in fear and sit back, useless to Christ. Fear is just one of Satan's tactics. I'm sure he's delighted when he sees us use "being shy" as an excuse to pray for someone or ask them about their faith. Or offer them help in a situation.
{ For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. // 2 Timothy 1:7 }
We are here to make disciples, and our everyday actions and words should be strives towards that. But gosh it is just so darn easy to forget our purpose here. In the midst of the chaos and the stress, and even in the really good times. We forget why we're here and what we're even doing and who we're doing it for.
To me, living a comfortable life is losing sight of our Creator and His purpose for us and subtly living with our own interests in mind. We begin to think without even noticing, "well what about me?" and we begin to make lame excuses for our laziness or fears. Living uncomfortably is living in sacrifice. It's saying "yes". To the family member or friend that asks for a last minute babysitter or the woman that just had a baby, or the couple that just adopted. Or the family with multiple children with special needs, that is simply exhausted. Or the man that just lost his job. Or the new kids in town that have nobody. The little things that we make "plans" to miss or simply overlook sometimes. We should be so rid of ourselves that we are willing to step out of our comfort zones and lay everything down for whatever scenario and whatever people need us. Even if we can't stand them. It's laying down our wants and desires and seeking it from others. It's including and welcoming those we would rather ignore. We are to be set apart as lights in this dark, dark world. We should model after Christ in every single thing we do. He never put himself first. He never abandoned His friends and He loved the least of these. I highly doubt He was ever "comfortable" in His time spent on earth. We're of little to no use to Him when we are in our comfort zones.
{ But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. // James 1:22 }
And for that, being comfortable scares me. Stepping out scares me. But I'd sure as heck spend my days crushing my fears for greater things, than hiding back in my comfy little life of later regret. Being comfortable scares me because, once you do step out, you wonder how you could possibly have waited this long to do so. And you start to see things so differently. You know that once you let yourself slip back into your comfortable life, you'll slowly forget the feeling and the purpose and before you know it, you're the center of your story again. So let's help each other step out. I'm tired of living comfortably.
