As believers, we often talk about stepping out on faith…but what happens when God calls you out of your comfort zone??
How do we respond when God asks us to step into places that challenge everything we know? The very places that stretch us beyond what feels comfortable? As a woman of God who has had to step out on faith MANY times before, I certainly know what it’s like to put yourself out there in full trust of the Lord. It’s easy to want to stay in our comfort zones, but here’s the thing: comfort zones can become like spiritual prisons if we stay in them too long. Oftentimes, the most powerful breakthroughs happen in the most uncomfortable spaces! If God has been calling you lately into what feels unfamiliar, be encouraged with today’s message to embrace the uncomfortable!
Let Faith Happen
When was the last time you felt spiritually uncomfortable? It’s normal as human beings to believe that comfort somehow equals security. If things feel easy and familiar, then everything must be going according to plan…right? But what if God is calling you to something greater than what’s comfortable? What if He’s asking you to take a step into the unknown or into an area where you feel the most inadequate or unsure?
…FAITH happens!
The Word is full of stories where God called His people out of their comfort zones. As we think of Moses, he didn’t feel capable of leading the Israelites out of Egypt. And we can also think of Peter who stepped out of the boat and walked on water. If I were to be painfully honest, the Father doesn’t call us to a life of ease. He calls us to a life of purpose! And sometimes, purpose requires leaving behind what feels safe.
It’s in these times when you must allow your faith to happen as you step outside of what’s familiar, rather than your fear. Whenever the Lord calls us to step out of our comfort zone, fear will always try to hold us back. Fear always whispers lies that tell us we’re not good enough, that we’ll fail, or even that we’ll look foolish. But here’s the thing, fear isn’t your guide, your faith is! Faith tells you to go forth even when you feel afraid. Faith says ”even if I don’t know how, God knows…and that’s enough for me!”
Growth is in the Stretching
Here’s the reality: real growth in the Lord doesn’t happen in your comfort zone. We don’t become stronger in our faith by remaining where we’re unchallenged or untested. It’s in the stretching and the moments when we feel like we’re in over our heads that we learn to rely on God more deeply. James 1:2-4 tells us to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Be encouraged that the struggles you may be facing aren’t meant to break you.
It’s meant to BUILD you!
If the leading of the Lord has caused you to feel uncomfortable…
If you’ve been feeling out of place…
If God has been stretching you…
Then you must know this: you’re in a season of growth! The Lord is refining and shaping you into the person He has called you to be. Growth may surely be uncomfortable, but it is always necessary! Your growth is in the stretching.
Have Faith In Uncertainty
Faith is all about trusting God even when the path is unclear. Trust that God’s promises are sure, even when the details aren’t. You don’t have to have all the answers to take the next step. You just need to trust that God is already in your next preparing the way for you. He doesn’t ask you to figure everything out. All He simply asks is that you be obedient. Remember that God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. Whatever He has placed in front of you, He will give you the tools and the tenacity to accomplish it. If He has called you to it, He will equip you through it!
Embrace the Unknown
When you step out of your comfort zone, you step into a space where God can do the impossible. Instead of fearing the unknown, embrace it. Instead of asking “What if I fail?”, ask “What if God does something good through this?”. If you’re in an uncomfortable season, be encouraged. God is making a way, even if you can’t see it yet. Remember this: the blessing is on the other side of obedience.
Choose to trust Him and take that step of faith!
Position yourself to receive the blessings He has prepared for you!
Don’t fear the unknown…EMBRACE IT!
Let it be so. Amen.
If you want to work closely with Lenika Scott, you can do so by joining The Inner Circle Coaching http://@www.lenikascott.com/innercircle
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Blessings,
Lenika Scott