Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

You’ve just received word that the company is downsizing and your job has been eliminated. Fear, anxiety, anger, even a sense of hopelessness flood your mind. What will you do? Where will you go? In the back of your mind you know that you may have to relocate. Change.

The last few months you have spent hours going over brochures of colleges, trying to decide which one is the right choice to make. You want your son or daughter, as the case may be, to be satisfied with the decision, but finances play a major role in the choice that is made. Finally the day arrives when that one who has been a major part of your life for 18 years is leaving home, going off to college. Your stomach knots up as you struggle to hold back the tears. It won’t be the same, ever again. Change.

The church’s facilities are old and in need of major repair. The demographics of the city have shifted and to be affective, the church must consider its future role in its present community. Avenues for outreach have almost come to a standstill due to language and custom barriers. In the back of everyone’s mind is the nagging question of what to do. If we move, where to, when, and who will lead? Whatever the church decides to do everyone knows that things will never be the same again. Change.

People fear change. It is an unknown and in that quality resides the fear that both causes change and hinders it. Today it’s called stepping out of your comfort zone and I guess that’s a good name for it. Still it means you have to do something you’ve never done before; embrace another man’s vision and decide whether or not you can trust him. That’s what it comes down to in the long run. Trust, pure and simple. But have you noticed just how hard that can be, to place total trust in someone, regardless of who he or she may be?

Have you ever considered why God placed men over His flock; why He gave mortal men the responsibility of looking after His children while in this life? Give that some thought, I mean beyond the textbook answer. Maybe, just maybe, God knew us well enough to realize that if anything substantial was ever to be accomplished on planet earth, we needed someone to follow; someone we could see, talk to, build a relationship with; someone physical with the same sinful tendencies we all have, yet able to live a life that inspires us to walk closer to our God. I know we have God’s Word and I believe it is the infallible, inerrant Word of almighty God, but at times I still need that human interaction, that human example of faith, of depending on God, of standing for what’s right.

Look at the apostle Paul. He’s the one who said, “Follow me as I follow the Lord” (paraphrase). The prophets of old admonished the people under their hearing to listen and do as they said. Then of course there’s Moses, possibly the greatest leader of all time. He returned to a people, who had sought his life, with the command of God to lead those same people out of Egypt to a land “flowing with milk and honey”–the Promised Land. Now that was change, and the people followed, complaining and griping all the way.

If God has placed you in a position of leadership over a group of people much like the Israelites headed for Canaan or even 1st century Christians, take heart. You stand in the gap; you are the one most will look to, not the Lord. Most of your people will follow the Lord only as you do. And in that you will be able to inspire some to train their eye on Christ and not on you. And when that happens you will have instigated change. You will have forced people out of their comfort zone. Where once your people looked only to you for how to live, what to believe, how to trust, and how to serve, as time goes by they will keep their eyes on Christ and follow where He leads; live as He teaches; believe what He says, and serve where He leads.

The neat thing about the entire process is that it never stops. There will always be others to take the place of those who have matured to the point that they will follow Christ, even if, God forbid, you don’t. They will have changed–stepped out of their comfort zone–and the church takes another step forward. And that’s a good thing.

Whether your voice speaks from time past; whether you walk out of the desert or come down from the hills, God has called you to be a catalyst for change. And that will impact people’s hearts, minds, and emotions. In order for you to accomplish what God has for you, you too may have to step out of your comfort zone. You up to it? I sure hope so.

Grams

The Whisper of God

Up ahead gaped the open mouth of a large cave. Hungry and thirsty, he stumbled into its darkness. Exhaustion forced him to the ground. He had been running for days and now all he wanted to do was rest. And sleep! Sweet, peaceful oblivion! That’s what he needed.

Sometime in the night a strong wind tore across the mountainside. Elijah went out upon the mountain as the winds blew harder and harder. The storm blew with such force trees and rocks were jolted from their places. Then as if on cue, the mountain began to shake, seeming to crumble underneath him. Fear gripped his heart like he’d never known before. Never in all his life had he lived through such a rage of nature.

What was that he smelled? Smoke. He smelled smoke! A bolt of lightening must have struck a tree, causing a fire to burn what little was left standing. Elijah stood as if in a trance. He looked all around him; there was nothing left. What had not been destroyed by the great wind and mighty earthquake, the fire had burned. Now what would he do?

In that one night all the forces of nature had converged upon one spot. Wind; earthquake; fire! What a magnificent display of the power of God! But wait, what was that? That sounded like someone whispered my name!

Elijah crept out from his hiding place, shivering from the fear that still held him in its grasp. There it was again–the sound of a low whisper. The voice spoke again; it was the whisper of God.

Another time a storm raged. This time is was on the Sea of Galilee and the twelve disciples were trying to reach the other side. But the harder they rowed, the farther from shore it seemed they were. Waves of water washed over the sides of the boat. At any moment the boat could sink. It was filling with water faster than they could bail.

Down in the bottom of the boat Jesus lay sleeping. Someone shook Him awake. “Master, don’t you care we are about to sink? Help us!” Jesus stood up, walked to the front of the boat, and raised his arms toward heaven. Then in a quiet voice, almost like a whisper, Jesus said, “Peace! Be still!”

Once again the whisper of God could be heard above the raging torrents of nature, turned loose to wreak its havoc. Once again the tumult ceased. Where do you look for the whisper of God? Do you see His handiwork in the mighty displays of nature? Do you observe His power in the transformation that takes place in people’s lives when they come to know Him personally? Do you look for Him amid the fears, uncertainties, and doubts of everyday life? Have you found Him yet?

Let the winds die down; let the thunder and lightening subside; wait for the trembling to come to a standstill; look for a lull in the storm and you will hear it–the low whisper of God. Just as He did with Elijah; just as He did for His disciples years later, Jesus gently nudges you from out of the storm. “Child, what are you doing here?”

Now it’s your turn to speak. What will you tell Him?

Grams

In Step With Jesus

Andrew raised his arms and threw with all his might. The net sailed over his head and out into the water landing exactly where he wanted it. Slowly he began the arduous task of hauling in the net with its catch. A smile played along his lips. He enjoyed being out on the water, tasting the salt in the wind as the waves rocked the boat back and forth. Business was good; all the hard work he and his brother had done was finally paying off. They even had plans of adding another boat to their fishing business. Maybe that could happen before the next fishing season got under way.

Walking alongside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus stopped to watch as Simon and Andrew cast their nets. He called to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of me.” The Scripture says that they immediately left their nets and followed Him.

The nets symbolized everything about those two men. They were fishermen; this was their livelihood; the way they paid their bills. It was their identity; who they were. But at the call of Jesus both unhesitatingly dropped their nets, docked their boat, and got in step with Jesus. These men left behind all they had been previously and followed Jesus of Nazareth.

When Jesus calls us today, He asks us to do the same thing Simon and Andrew did–to leave all and follow Him. Maybe we do not have to change our occupation as those two did. That depends upon the role Jesus has for each of us in His kingdom’s work, but our decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ entails a complete surrender of who we are, our dreams and aspirations, as we give the Lord Jesus Christ first place in our lives.

Why would two fishermen willingly turn their backs on who they were to become completely different? Why should you and I be willing to do that? Could it be because Jesus has made a better offer? How does the best this world has to offer stack up against what you have when you become a follower of the Son of God? How do you think fishing compared to eternal life? When Jesus calls you to come follow Him, lay aside whatever you’re doing and get in step with Jesus. You will become a fisher of men.

Grams

All Things to All People

She comes in all shapes and sizes, with differing personalities, gifts, and abilities. She may step to the forefront, driven by a desire to lead, or give place to those around her, content to remain in the background. Either action brings criticism. Bravely she looks to the future and accepts her role in God’s plan for her family.

What kind of woman willingly leaves behind everything familiar to serve a group of people who, for the first twelve months, watch every move she makes, deciding if she will fit? What kind of woman smiles, even when her heart breaks from lack of acceptance and friendship with the very people God has sent her to serve? What kind of woman hugs a child, all the time remembering she has been on the receiving end of the mother’s caustic tongue?

What kind of woman lies awake during long, sleepless nights praying with her husband for another’s wayward son or daughter, the hard times others may be experiencing or their lack of spiritual growth? Then, after friendships and relationships deepen and the Lord says it’s time to move to another place of service, what kind of woman can smile through the tears, release those she has come to care for so much and go somewhere else to start the process all over again?

What kind of woman? A very special woman uniquely gifted to continually put herself last so others may go first. She is a woman God calls and places alongside the under shepherd of His flock. She is the pastor’s wife.

A certain mystique surrounds her. While there are other women in the congregation, there is only one pastor’s wife. That alone makes her the most important among all ladies in the church. No one else holds her position. After all, she has the preacher’s heart. More important to some, she has his ear. Her influence with him is something to cultivate. Friendships become cloudy; what was thought to be heartfelt is nothing more than a ploy to gain an advantage. But, all is not lost. God is good and He sends someone along who is genuine–someone who is real. And a lasting bond develops; the wrenching of the heart is replaced with a reminder of God’s faithfulness. So, she continues on, opening her heart to those who will let her and loving even those who do not.

With her bright smile, her knowing glance and her reliance on the truth of God’s Word, she stands firmly and proudly beside her man, the preacher, the one God has placed at the helm. Together they steer a straight course, looking over their shoulders as if to say, “Come on, follow us as we follow the Lord.” What is the mystique that surrounds this gracious lady? It’s her ability to be all things to all people. (Together With God, [Grams])

Grams

Get Connected

Today is the Saturday before Easter Sunday and in my town it was a day for Easter egg hunts. Even when I was a child I remember there were always Easter baskets, new clothes, and the traditional egg hunt.

While the excitement and thrill of the tradition still carries on, for some people the reason for the egg hunt has changed. I’m sure the egg hunt is still part of the Easter activities for many families, but it seems as if more communities are having community-wide egg hunts. And that’s a good thing. Even churches are participating.

Today my church held a community egg hunt. There were a lot of plastic eggs with individually wrapped candy inside; areas marked off by age-groups; and prizes for those who found prize eggs and for those who found the most eggs per age group. Parents helped the younger kids while the parents of older kids hung around and talked. New acquaintances were made and possibly new friendships established. It turned out to be a great way for the people in our church to introduce themselves to the community where we will be building a new church.

There was not really anything spectacular about what we did today as far as some people are concerned; just connecting with our soon-to-be neighbors; establishing contacts; making friends. But that in itself is spectacular because meeting neighbors, establishing community connections, and making friends in order to introduce people to Jesus Christ is living out the charge Jesus gave His followers before He ascended back to His Father after the resurrection. And isn’t that what Easter is supposed to commemorate, the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Tomorrow is Easter and those of us who believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God will go to church and celebrate His resurrection from the dead. Included in that celebration is realization that without the resurrection new life in Christ would not be a reality. But because of that one historically accurate fact, I have eternal life and the promise of life with Jesus in heaven when I die. Before Jesus left this world to take His rightful place at the throne of God, He directed His disciples to teach others what He had taught them. And so it has continued down through the centuries.

Today while we hosted a fun activity for our new community, we were faithful to the task Christ set for us as His disciples. In the process of having a great time at an Easter egg hunt, we introduced ourselves, opened our doors to the community we plan to be a part of, and connected. Will everyone who came to the egg hunt reciprocate? No they won’t. Some were there only for the fun time but there will be others who came to check us out in the process; to see if there was something worth connecting to.

After today’s activities I’m convinced Jesus meant for His followers simply to connect to those around them. In the process of connecting you may actually introduce someone to the love of Jesus. Then the same hope that fuels your life in Him will take up residence in that one’s heart. Definitely not in the words of Jesus, but in my own I tell you to simply get connected.

Grams