Are You Stuck in Your Comfort Zone? – Link-Up

Do you struggle to follow God’s plan when it entails stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone? It can be downright scary when God wants something more from us than what we think we are capable of giving. Many of us will stay stuck wrestling with God or pretending we didn’t hear Him. Are you in the middle of this dance with God? Are you stuck in your comfort zone?

Maybe if we could uncover what lies at the root of our fear, we could begin to move forward. We must ask ourselves, “Do we trust God with the plan?” #trust #lettinggo Click To Tweet

 

Stuck in My Comfort Zone

When our family started on a journey with mental illness, I knew God would not waste our pain. However, never in a million years did I think God would ask me to speak, write, and teach on the topic of embracing the unexpected. After all, living seemed hard enough.  

The first whisper came when I heard Him clearly say, “I want you to lead a Women Bible Study.” The idea seemed absurd, given our circumstances at the time. Not only did I feel ill-equipped, but I was barely hanging on. I was wearing a weight around my neck that said, “Parent Failure,” as I had one child struggling in college and another in treatment. Plus, we had decided it would be best for my husband to move out for a few months. Who would want me to lead?  

 

“Not Me” – When We Don’t Feel Equipped

Nor did I look like the ideal candidate, so I passed it off as absurd. After all, who serves while they are waiting for a miracle. It was easy to assume I had misheard God.  

However,

God always knows best. Plus, He always equips and has the bigger picture in mind. #Godsplan Click To Tweet

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

He put the pieces together one by one as I resisted jumping in with two feet. First, my small group leader couldn’t make the group and asked me to fill in. I had no problem stepping in for a day. This task was not out of my comfort zone. It so happened the person over women’s ministry decided to drop in that day to observe our group. Later, she asked me if I would consider stepping into leadership. I quickly said, “NO.”  

But I kept hearing God’s whisper, “This is what I want for you, Maree.” I argued and stated all the reasons why it would be a horrible idea. “It wasn’t my passion; my life was in shambles, I was ill-equipped,” etc. etc. Plus, it would be entirely out of my comfort zone because it would require me to lead in a new way where I couldn’t give 150%. 

 

God is Relentless

But God can be relentless, so I told Him if one more person asked me, I would say “yes.”After all, the church knew all about my unexpected circumstances; surely, no one would ask twice. So my “no” became a “yes” when the next person asked. I would let go of all my reasons why God was wrong and step out, trusting God to make it right. 

Little did I know this would be a stepping stone and a vast learning experience to learn to write and co-create and lead a ministry for mental health down the road. Plus, it would teach me the things I resisted, like, asking for help and being vulnerable. Ahh, perfectionism would need to be addressed and let go of, and hiding behind the persona I had it altogether would need to be released.   

I would love to say I don’t get stuck in my comfort zone, but I do. Over and over again, God asks me to let go and trust Him with His plan. He keeps growing me, challenging me to new beginnings. I want to say “yes” right away, but I find myself holding back over and over again. Eventually, I put my trust in God and follow his plan regardless of being afraid. Do you trust right away? 

 

Featured Post

When I read Bev Rihtarchik post last week, it resonated so profoundly within, and it might for you too. She talked about putting God through the ABC’s of trust, and then she asks some challenging questions you won’t want to miss. Not only does she share her “Yes,” she shares with us what she is currently letting go of to trust God. 

“Sometimes trusting God makes us let go of everything we hold near and dear with no certain guarantee other than God’s goodness and faithfulness.” Bev Rihtarchik

 

Click here to read our featured post.

 

Letting go of our comfort zone, and going with God's will is sometimes scary and challenging. Remembering He will always equip is essential. We must start by trusting Him with the plan. #trust #Godsplan #lettinggo Click To Tweet

Are you stuck in your comfort zone? It would be an honor to partner in prayer with you.  

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Bev, thank you for linking up with Grace & Truth. Grab a button and link back – I am sure your readers would love to celebrate with you!