For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

Devotion

How many of us love to stay within our zone of comfort? It feels safe, secure, and easy to manage. It’s natural to map out our lives based on what we think we can handle, leading to a sense of certainty: I got this! We cherish the happiness that comes when our well-thought-out plans end with the intended outcome.

However, this focus on personal control is centered on a lot of “I.” This self-reliance can inadvertently keep us from living life to its fullest potential and hinder us from growing in trust and obedience to God. What if God has a different plan—a plan that requires us to do something uncomfortable, something that makes us completely reliant on him, not ourselves?

God may be calling you to have a difficult conversation with a loved one, or asking you to remove something from your life that you hold close. When faced with this divine discomfort, the challenge comes down to two things: surrender and trust.

Surrender is not losing, and trust is not giving up; both are simply giving in to the purpose God has for us. These moments of necessary change are what God often uses to help refine us. He knows what we need and when we need it, even when we think we know better.

We must remind ourselves of the call in Luke 9:23: “Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.’” God wants us to deny ourselves, because only then can we truly follow the plan he has laid out. His plan doesn’t promise to be struggle-free—it can be quite difficult, as Job could attest.

If God has placed something on your heart today that is making you uncomfortable, that’s okay. God calls us out of our comfort zone so that the results can only be explained by his power, not our abilities. When we run from his presence and purpose, we must rely on our own strength. But when we step out in faith, we are assured of his presence, power, provision, and grace.

When we choose faith, we overcome the fear of the unfamiliar. We have the assurance of Scripture that: “The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

We don’t always get to know how the plan will play out or the end result. The important thing is to ask God to continue to refine us during the uncomfortable times. He does not falter, he does not forsake; he just loves us unconditionally. After we surrender, we can delight in the fact that he is leading and he will give us what we need in the moment.

The journey often requires us to “faith forward and understand backward.” There will be times later when we can look back at a trial and say, “Now I understand, and I am so thankful for the struggle.”

I pray that today is the day you choose to be comfortable in your uncomfortableness. I invite you today to be apart of his holy presence. God is working. He knows what is needed even when we think we know better.

PRAYER

Father, I pray that you would open our eyes to show us where our comfort zones end. Give us the courage to be uncomfortable so that we can go where you call us.

Scott Dudley
Executive Director - Crossings Community Clinics

Resources:

Listen to Trust in God from Elevation Worship.

Watch Comfort Zone Christianity from Senior Pastor Marty Grubbs.

Explore other devotions like this one any time at crossings.church/devotions .