Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 ESV).
It seems I keep coming back to this very familiar passage of Scripture. It has proven to be an immense encouragement to me. Perhaps it will be so to you as well. Most of us have, in our house, a thermostat that regulates the temperature. When it gets a bit too warm, the air conditioning kicks on to bring the temperature down to an acceptable range. When the temperature drops below a comfortable point, the heater comes on to bring the room temperature up to a more comfortable level. The "comfort zone" is the range of temperature that is not too hot and not too cold, just comfortable.
Our personal comfort zone is where we are comfortable in what we are doing in our jobs, our lives, and our experiences. It is when we have no feelings of risk or anxiety. Some call it being comfortable. I believe it may better be called “a rut.”
Each of us has our own personal comfort zone. We have built-in thermostats that regulate our level of anxiety, fear, and discomfort. In the areas of our knowledge, skills, habits and attitude, when we step outside our normal, existing boundaries, we begin to feel a bit anxious. Our natural tendency is to pull back. Try this: fold your arms. Now, fold them the other way. How did that make you feel? Felt a bit unnatural, didn't it? That's why we usually stay within our comfort zone. When we try something new, we often feel uneasy about it, and frequently pull back. The security feels good.
At least one of the things I have learned over the last few years in stepping out of the comfort zone of a full time pastorate is that God is ALWAYS faithful. No matter how trying life seems to be at the moment I am convinced that as I press on in life, He finds a way to bring me more blessing than I have ever imagined possible. It is at this moment in my life that I have discovered growth taking place. That’s what happens when we step out of our “comfort zone.” Just like a muscle gets stronger when we exercise it outside its normal range of use, we get stronger when we get out of our rut. And just like our muscles, once we stretch beyond our current capabilities, we don't ever go back to our original dimensions. As we try new things, we gain confidence. Confidence makes us feel powerful and good. And when we are confident that we can survive new ideas, we allow ourselves to try even more new things.
Spend a few moments this morning and think about your own spiritual “ruts.” Determine to do one of those things differently today. See if it won’t stretch your spiritual muscles and cause you to grow more.
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