Comfort can be a dangerous thing:
Do something you’re scared of today, and when I say
something you’re scared of, I don’t mean something dangerous or destructive, of
course. I mean something that’s outside
of your comfort zone - perhaps something that you’ve been wanting to do, such
as applying for a new job or joining a class. Something that may be painful to
confront but could bring healing. Make today anti-procrastination day. Even if it’s something really simple, such as
taking a few seconds of cold water to boost your circulation (which, by the
way, can be helpful if you’re suffering from depression). Something that breaks the routine and wakes
you up and makes you feel alive and in the moment.
You see, comfort can be a very dangerous thing. Comfort is necessary and a beautiful thing in
the right season – we all need rest and comfort. We need to be wrapped in a soft, warm blanket
sometimes and just read a book, and be soothed and reassured, but if we were to
stay in that warm, comfortable bed all day, our life would be meaningless. The comfort can become a sort of self-made
jail. The longer we cling to the familiar the more fearful we become of the
unknown – of what will happen to us if we venture out. We are acting like the man King Solomon
describes who says something like “If I go out into the streets, a lion might
eat me.” So, what does this man do? He just stays inside all day. He never steps foot outside to work and plant
seeds in the field. Now the man is right that there is real danger outside his
house (lions did live in the area in King Solomon’s time), but if he stays in
his house all day, is he really living? At harvest time, his field is bare – he
has nothing to show for his life.
Getting too comfortable and familiar can be destructive,
Sometimes we get too comfortable with what we shouldn’t and we put up with the
evil we know, rather than taking action.
For example, we stay in a bad situation at work and put up with
workplace bullying, assuming that maybe we really are not that valuable as an
employee, rather than networking and applying for, and trying new work
environments. We may accept emotionally
abusive treatment from a partner, without trying to resolve anything, because we
fear having to confront the issue. We see injustices against others and hope
that someone else will speak up about it.
While we are alive and breathing, we all have a chance to do
something. We have great power for good
or evil, to destroy lives or to save lives. Perhaps, if you feel directionless,
you could start by looking at your gift, or gifts, and then how you can bless
others with those gifts. Motivational speaker Steve Harvey shares a simple
definition to help you recognise your gift: “Your gift is something you do to
the absolute best, with the least amount of effort.” As soon as you step out to
encourage and share your gifts richly with others, that’s when you have to go
out on a limb of faith, and that’s when you will see God working and your
experience will come alive. But you have
to step out first. You have to take that
step, outside of your comfort zone. So I
encourage you, can you give a moment of time today – even if it’s just 5
minutes - and make it anti-procrastination day - to do something you’re afraid
of?
By Leesa Fletch
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