“Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
This was one of the most nerve-wrecking things I heard the Holy Spirit tell me loud and clear.
Right before I started this blog and shop, I was sitting in church just thinking about what God was calling me to and what it would look like. And I heard this small voice clearly say, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
As soon as I heard it, it was like something I knew was coming and I was trying to avoid it.
I mean no one wants to be uncomfortable. We spend our entire lives trying to create a stable, comfortable environment for ourselves.
But often, God calls us to the uncomfortable and that’s what makes us grow.
"He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." MATTHEW 10:39 NKJV
Being willing to give up our agenda and our comforts in order to fulfill God’s calling is how He can begin to use us for His will.
It’s Kind of Like Working Out
I’ve been a fan of healthy living and working out as long as I can remember.
I like committing to new programs and pushing myself to finish them.
It’s not easy and it stretches you to do things you maybe thought you couldn’t do but in the end, you feel so much better and you usually make progress not only physically, but mentally and more.
If you never push yourself, though, you won’t make the progress you want. You can easily just go through the motions and then wonder why you aren’t any further towards your goal than you were when you started.
It works very similarly when God’s calling out of your comfort zone.
If you just go through the motions and don’t push yourself to do new things and step out, even when it’s awkward, or you’re nervous, then you won’t grow and you won’t get any closer to fulfilling His calling for your life. (Read more about How to Live Out Your Calling When You Have No Extra Time here)
But I’m Just ____, I Could Never ____!
This is the excuse many of us use when we feel like God is calling us to something that feels too big and scary.
But I’m just a mom, I could never lead a bible study!
But I’m just a new Christian, I could never give value to people who’ve been Christians their whole lives!
You can literally use this phrase to justify getting out of anything the Holy Spirit nudges you to, but here’s the thing:
Jesus qualifies the unqualified!
"For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed." 1 CORINTHIANS 15:9-11 NKJV
Paul was a terrible person before he met Jesus. He was seeking out Christians and trying to kill them off when God met him on the way to Damascus and changed his life (Acts 9). Then he became one of the most amazing apostles to win lives for Christ.
If Paul had remained in the mindset that “I’m just ____, I could never ____,” he would’ve never fulfilled his true calling for Christ.
Look at David. He was just a lowly shepherd boy who killed Goliath with a few stones and became one of the most revered kings of the Old Testament. (1 Samuel 17)
Look at Joseph. He was a shepherd and was sold into slavery by his brothers and became the leader of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, and saved an entire people group from starvation because he was willing to be used by God. (Genesis 37-50)
Look at Esther. She was an orphaned Jew, who was chosen to be queen and saved an entire population from destruction by standing up for the followers of Christ. (Esther)
There are tons of other examples in scripture where God uses the lowly, the humble, and the unqualified to do amazing things. Why? Because when you are humble, you realize that you can’t do it on your own and to move forward, you MUST step out in faith and lean on God. Then it’s God that gets the glory, not our own prideful selves.
Sometimes This Process Takes A Little Rewiring…
This one might be a little touchy, but it’s true.
Sometimes God calls us to things that are completely against our nature, and it’s ok to do a little rewiring of how we normally do things to get it done.
For example, I am a type A perfectionist to the core. But, that makes me very hesitant to be spontaneous and do things without careful planning. If I can’t play out a scenario in my head first, I don’t usually want to do it.
But guess what doesn’t work like that? Stepping out in faith and listening to the Holy Spirit.
A lot of times, He says, “Open your mouth and I’ll do the talking.”
Talk about scary. Having the confidence to open your mouth in the first place…having the faith that when you do, He’ll give you the words you’re supposed to say.
This process is not something that happens overnight. It’s something that can take a while to even make any progress, but when you do start moving forward, then God reassures you that you can do what He’s calling you to.
And sometimes it’s one step that will lead to another, and another, and another that will eventually get you where He wants you to be. So when the first step doesn’t always make sense, do it anyway. He may be leading you to something or putting you through something that will turn into something else you can’t see yet. Remember, no one knows the future better than God.
But I’m Scared…
This is a challenging one that I keep having to fight on a daily basis.
The things that He’s currently calling me to are all out of my comfort zone, they’re all inconvenient and they’re all pushing me and helping me grow.
I learned very quickly that the “But I’m scared..” excuse doesn’t get you very far.
The only way to get over it is to just do it anyway. And you know what? The more you jump out and do the scary things, the less scary they’ll become.
And when you do even scarier things, you’ll look back on those smaller things you were so afraid of and laugh.
So What’s The First Step?
The first step is to…take the first step.
Seek God and listen to what He’s calling you towards and then take a step in that direction.
Even if you don’t completely know what it will look like. Even if it doesn’t all make sense just yet. Take the first step.
Then keep seeking and keep stepping out how He’s calling and you’ll end up in a place you maybe never imagined but was so worth it in the end.
Even when you’re scared, even when you feel unqualified. If He’s calling you to it, He’ll bring you through it. Trust in Him and learn to listen to that still, small voice. Your life will feel so much more fulfilled when you do.
