Friday, July 13, 2018

Obedience: The Call out of our Comfort Zone


God’s been revealing some things about myself lately and I came to ask this question sitting in church one Sunday: What are you so afraid of? I sat through the first service, and during second service I got my answer: obedience. I’m afraid to be obedient to what God is telling me to do. Why? It means I’m not in control of my life. It means that I have to let someone else take the lead. It means that I have to follow Jesus’ lead, and I don’t even know where Jesus is going to take me. He didn’t tell me what our destination was he just said follow me. Therefore, I’m at a season in my life where I have to make a choice. Follow Jesus or live a mediocre life. So too did Jesus disciples have to make a choice when he called them to follow him. Four of his disciples were fishermen and Jesus literally called them out of their boat and said to follow him. The boat was their comfort zone. The boat was what they knew. They didn’t even know Jesus, they had never met him before yet still they got out of the boat and followed him. So too are we in a boat. 

My boat is anxiety and fear. God’s calling me out. I can step out of the boat. He’s not even asking me to walk on water. The boat is on the shore. The boat is not even doing what it was made to do which is float on the water. Much like my boat of anxiety and fear is stuck on the shore. Don’t get me wrong, there is a healthy amount of fear and anxiety. It’s our fight or flight response. However, this boat no longer serves me in the specifications for which it was called to do, which is to give me the right response when under a physical attack. Fear and anxiety well up in me in the mundane every day details of life. I believe a breakthrough is coming. I believe the Lord will set me free from unhealthy anxiety and fear. I believe at the heart of all this anxiety is rebellion. I’m shying away from being obedient to the Lord. However, God is showing me how important my obedience is. 


It’s important because my obedience is someone else’s breakthrough. So too your obedience is someone else’s breakthrough.


Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1 Peter 5:8-10

One thing that struck me in the above verse was that the same afflictions are happening to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. So I think to myself if I can’t stand fast for my own well being can’t I do it for them? For I believe the Lord is telling me, stand fast, be strong, don’t stop, don’t give up. Why? Because your battle is someone else’s victory. Your battle strengthens you, makes you strong and when someone is going through the same battle you will encourage them. Don’t resist only for yourself. Resist for your friends, family, and the lost souls you’ll meet because God will use this for his glory, for your good and for their good.

Our Lord and Savior is calling us out of our boat into serving him. 


He calls us out of our comfort zone into his loving arms, into his kingdom, into his service and into being a light to those around us. He calls us out of the boat and allows us to walk on water. He calls us out of our comfort zone and he gives us exactly what we need to succeed in what he’s called us to do.


The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. Psalm 37:23-24

We don’t know what it’s like outside of the boat with Jesus, but we don’t need to know each step. We just need to know the one that orders our steps. With each step he reveals the next and the next. 

We are only capable of handling one step at a time. 

We need live only in the current step we are on. 

We cannot live in the past, nor can we see into the future. 

But what we can do is live in the moment. 

Get out of the boat it’s time to walk with Jesus who paid it all. 

No matter what we face we are with the one who loves us most. 

We can trust him.

 What's your boat?

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z