A comfort zone sounds like a great place to be, to me. When I think of my comfort zones, I think of
our bedroom. I think of my hometown. I
think of people with whom I can be real.
I think of our office, with our books, looking at our wall art, and
typing on our laptop. Wikipedia quotes
Alasdair White to define “comfort zone” as “an anxiety-neutral condition,
using a limited set of behaviours to deliver a steady level of
performance.” While “anxiety-neutral”
sounds a little clinical and while it stresses me out to see “behaviors”
spelled with a “u,” it still sounds great!
However, comfort zones are often described in negative ways
because they are barriers to success. Even when Wikipedia quotes White, these
words are added, “usually without a sense of risk.” There’s the catch. If we know anything from our exposure to
success and leadership books from the last 30 years, we know that there is no
growth without risk. So when those six
words end the description of “comfort zone” we get that the comfort zone is no
place to be. At least it is no place to
stay.
Usually
when I hear the call to “get out of my comfort zone,” I’m listening to someone
who is encouraging me to have a spiritual impact on my world. There are not as many needy people in my
comfort zone as I need to serve, so I need to get out of my comfort zone. The oppressed don’t live in my neighborhood
much, so I need to get out of my comfort zone.
I should head to neighborhoods where I am not so comfortable to be
serving kingdom style.
I’ve been
considering, though, whether “getting out my comfort zone” is something Jesus
would be glad to hear me say I’m doing when I am with the poor, the sick, the
oppressed, and the unbeliever. Jesus was
not out of his comfort zone when he was with anybody who needed mercy. He could be in the home of a Pharisee, a tax
collector, or some of his best friends.
He could spend time with a divorcee, an adulterous woman, a governor, a beggar,
and a soldier. And when he is with these
people, there is no sense in which Jesus would have said, “I’m glad to get out
of my comfort zone to be with these people, but I’ll be glad when I get back to
my own comfort zone.”
So I’m
never leaving my comfort zone again. Here’s
a start of reasons why. What would you
add?
1. It would be wrong for me to be uncomfortable
around people with whom Jesus would have been comfortable.
2. I’ve denied it in the past, but I’ll admit
that when I’ve been around people and in places outside of my comfort zone,
they’ve known it. I don’t want anybody to
feel that I’ll be glad when I can be in my comfort zone – away from them.
3. I want to be a risk-taker because risk-takers
trust in God. Nothing great has been accomplished staying on the comfy couch in the comfort zone.
