When was the last time you did something that was out of your comfort zone? Something that made your heart race, your adrenaline pump and your stomach tighten? Are you already squirming just thinking about it? Don’t stop reading just yet, hear me out for a minute …
Our culture praises comfort and ease. With online shopping, pre-made dinners and social media, it would be entirely possible to live our lives without ever leaving the comfort of our own homes. I know, I know … that’s extreme, but the reality is that fewer and fewer of my friends are willing to take risks.
The thought of being physically uncomfortable is becoming more and more removed from current reality. I’m starting to wonder if this propensity toward comfort is slowly luring us away from living out our stories and robbing us of living the lives of true faith and adventure that God is calling us to.
I recently signed up for a cycling tour to benefit a well-respected charity. It’s two days of riding nearly 160 miles through steep Colorado mountain passes. It’s an event that is totally out of my comfort zone.
After I signed up, I thought, “What did I just do to myself? It would be so much easier to write a check to the charity and be done with it.”
And that is absolutely true.
By signing up for this event, I’m not only donating money, but I have to be physically prepared and present. It’s affecting the way I eat, sleep, train, the way I schedule my week, the way that I’m spending my free time … it’s impacting me in ways that merely writing a check never would. Sending in a donation would definitely be easier but I would be robbing myself of the change that is happening within me as I participate and I would be missing out on an incredible story.
A lot of times it can be easy for us to write a check and to mentally check the box of “living out our faith.” While the way we spend our money is incredibly important, Scripture also talks about the importance of our deeds; our physical actions.
Romans 12:1 (NIV) says,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”
And Isaiah 58:10 (NIV) says,
“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
There is something important about actually showing up and participating. There is change that occurs, both in the lives of the people around us and in our very own hearts.
So, what is God asking you to do that is out of your comfort zone?
Maybe, like Michael in the video below, you feel God nudging you to host a Compassion Sunday at your church. For years Michael threw Compassion Sunday materials in the trash, wishing someone else would share about sponsorship at his church. One day he realized that the person was him and amazing things happened when he shared his sponsorship story.
Perhaps you feel led to take a trip to visit the child you sponsor, start an online fundraising campaign or devote more time in prayer for children in poverty.
Can I challenge you to break out of your comfort and jump into the bigger story?
Will you take a risk and live out your faith in a way that will make your heart race and stomach tighten a little? I guarantee that as you step out in faith and take action on behalf of children living in poverty, you will be drawn closer to the Father heart of God and you will have amazing stories to tell.
Learn more about hosting a Compassion Sunday ›
What action are you going to take today? Tell us in the comments below! We’d love to encourage you as you step out of your comfort zone.
