Each day brings new experiences that make you say, "Didn't see that coming!" or "I never thought I'd do that?!" Life as a missionary on deputation (raising support) brings out those responses on a regular basis. It's not that the circumstances or events are bizarre or weird. It's just that before the Lord opened this door and confirmed this calling to go, I would have never thought I would do and experience the things that we are.
The challenge that the Lord continues to lay before me is: are you willing to trust me with everything (which includes my comfort zone)? So often, our comfort zone becomes more precious to us than ANYTHING! Our comfort zone is a place where we can protect our own dignity, our reputation, our safety, and not do anything that makes us uncomfortable. Now, I'm not saying that we should consider doing things that are ungodly or immoral to get out of our comfort zones. But why do we guard our comfort zones so vigorously? It is almost like a fortress that represents our person and if anything happens to it, we will die. I saw a commercial the other day for a deoderant. It showed a woman with a computer-generated see-through force field around her. The commercial was showing that when you know that you have a sweat problem, you avoid people and guard yourself. That illustration represents our lives as believers! Our tendencies are to avoid people as a precaution of showing our true selves as Christians! Instead, we should see ourselves as difference makers! As a follower of Christ, as a child of God, as an heir with Jesus, if we truly acknowledge who we belong to and that we are simply passing through, does it not challenge us to re-evaluate the motivations of our comfort zones? If we pursue comfort over obedience, we will gain nothing! In Luke 19:11-27, Christ illustrated his issue with comfort zones and actually correlated a man's comfort zone with laziness. Quite a scary thought! Please understand, I love my comfort zone too! The question that we all need to ask is which one to we love more: our comfort zone or our God? Too often, we forget that the relationship that we should have with our God is personal and intimate. To belong to our God means that our being is solely dependent upon Him. As the apostle Paul illustrated through the idea of being a "bond servant." Out of gratitude, he was God's, period. Are you God's, period? If so, what circumstance and experiences will He lead you to and through that will make you say "Didn't see that coming?" if you will simply set aside your comfort zone?
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AuthorDennis Runner- a witness, a follower, a student, and a lump of clay in the hands of my God and Savior. Archives
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