Our Comfort Zone

All too often we sit back and let comfort rule what we do (I am preaching to the choir on this one). We will take the well beaten path, we would rather not drive during rush hour, take our clothes to the cleaners to avoid ironing....and we sit around our church building complaining and watching the few get the work done and even fewer yet get the blessings. Periodically in any church small group I have attended, the question pops up asking, "Has anything ever happened in your life , that at the time, was completely unexpected or even frightening, but in retrospect you see God's hand in it?" I want to take that one step further, have you EVER asked God for something, something vague or something you never expect to get, but when you do you are shocked at HOW he answered you? Years ago we were asking God to make a change in my work situation. We prayed and even asked others to pray that prayer with us, well God answered, and we had to move to a smaller city where he had no friends and were forced to start over. I can see God's hands all over this in hindsight, but at the time I thought he was punishing us, but he always knows what he is doing. He is forced at times to shake us up, to awaken that old spirit, to give us what need not always what we want. Churches and their people can fall into those traps as well, and sometimes his shaking causes disention from those unwilling to learn from the shakes. He may move certain people out of the way to pave the road for others. I know in my past certain things have been asked of me and my reaction was simply, that I can not do that, but looking back I am glad I did, because God used me and grew me. We sometimes feel so comfortable in our little role that we don't even look for opportunities that are staring us right in the face. The opposite can also be true, we jump into everything trying to please God and forget to include him in those efforts. We try to do it all on our own and soon we burn out and fade away (I know a lame Def Leppard reference). But it's true, we try to "please" God, instead of Worship him. Our actions that are done to his glory should be done in a pleasing way yes, but it should always be done as an act of worship. I had an awesome lunch today that I know was God ordained, I happened to meet up with a dear man from our last church at a place the two of us never eat. We had a wonderful lunch discussing basically what God means to us, what his plan is and can be, it was an awesome time of fellowship. It gave me the peace that some of what we have gone through lately has an eternal purpose, we are doing what God wants us to be about. And I gain a strength of purpose from that. So even though sometimes you feel that you are being drug outside of your comfort zone, or your church is getting too comfortable, ask yourself, Am I worshipping God in this situation? Am I being that man that Paul said he was when he said I don't always do as I should and even the things I do right are not perfect? We are saved by Grace unto good works by Faith. We are NOT saved unto comfort. We are not saved unto peaceful existence. we are saved and are commanded to proclaim his good works. So the next time you start feeling that ahhh feeling, start asking God to reveal himself and ask him what you can do to not be comfortable in a lost world. To drive this point home...I have some dear friends who listened to God's call and sold everything and took their 4 children to the mission Field that god called them to in Africa. I read a posting from there today saying right now they have no electricity or lights, only a few moments of battery power for the computer. There was an 8 foot deadly Black Mamba snake in their yard this morning and the reality of where they are and what they are doing is sinking in. But the reality part is that GOD is still in charge, he is the rock, he loves the indigenous people there and wants them to know him so much that he called others out of their comfortable life to move into a country with horrible snakes and limited amenities. Yet he honors that sacrifice. Every time I read a post from them of the latest, I always read and feel the presence of a holy loving God that even though they made a great sacrifice he loves them and honors and blesses them even in the midst of it all. Are you comfortable? Are you on the proverbial couch of Christianity? If so get up, start asking God to make you restless again, ask for his heart to be yours, comfort to a Christian is the Devil's playground.