Getting out of the comfort zone

Let's face it: we all have a comfort zone. It's not easy pushing beyond that self-imposed boundary. But often it's necessary to do more than we feel comfortable doing; sometimes it's absolutely vital.

When God called Moses out of the burning bush to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt, Moses didn't jump right up and say, "Of course I will!" He was comfortable as he was. He even gave excuses why he couldn't do God's will. But God didn't relent and Moses eventually obeyed. He learned to trust God and grew mightily in faith as a result.

When God called Gideon to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites, he must have thought God had made a mistake, for he kept asking God for a sign, for proof that he was hearing God correctly. But once he trusted God and did what He said, Gideon's army of only 300 defeated an enemy that was too numerous to count (with God's help, of course).

Many of our country's founders were initially reluctant to declare independence from England. But the time came that they had to leave their comfort zones when liberty was threatened as the growing tyranny of the British increased beyond their ability to bear. Had they not been willing to "pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor," the United States of America would have been stillborn and the world would be a very different place.

Let's resist the temptation to remain in our comfort zones. If we step out in faith, we may be amazed at the spiritual growth and moral courage we will find, even during (and probably because of) this dark time in our nation's history.