Uncomfortable.
This is not a word that brings me great joy. Not even a smidgen of joy. I think of a pain in my shoulder, a sliver in my finger, a sinus headache, tight shoes that have cut into the back of my ankle ... or a slew of other things. Uncomfortable is not what I aspire to. And it's definitely not what comes to mind when I think about God or Worship. Yet, I think this is where God wants us – at least some of the time. And I'm not just talking about physical discomfort.
When we are comfortable, operating in our "zone," we are not necessarily reaching beyond ourselves. We remain in a trusted circle of friends, family, places, or events where we find much gratification. We resist the unknown. Yet, when we test our bravery, being courageous enough to step outside our "bubble," great things happen. Now, I don’t mean great, as in better than good; I mean great as in awesome, powerful, or spectacular – those terms in their good and bad connotations.
When we step outside our safety zone, we lean on God more. Or maybe, we realize we need to lean on God, Period. Maybe we realize that we weren't leaning on God at all inside the bubble and doing it all on our own. When we venture beyond, we must trust that God holds us - that He gives us a “force field” to protect us. We must lean “not on our own understanding.”
Uncomfortable. That’s where God wants us – at least some of the time. Are you uncomfortable?
