As I have mentioned in the last several weeks, living in our “comfort zone” is ALL about us! If you can really start to see the selfishness of your comfort, you are one step closer to moving past that comfort zone and into ALL God has for your life! For me to grow, I need to make some radical shifts and often need an outside force, (a “trigger”), to help me recognize in what areas I need to grow the most. Last week, I challenged you to do a “self-fast” and thought it was a great representation of the the trigger needed for us ALL to make changes away from comfort towards a more selfless relationship with God and others. For example, if you were you looking forward to a quiet evening watching a movie, and found out a friend was moving that same night, and didn’t ask you to help, you may normally think, “Whew! Glad they didn’t ask me to help.” During a self fast, you would pass up your quiet evening and offer to help.
Luke 9:23 (NIV)
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
So, What… for This Week?
I am not saying you should always give up rest and comfort in every situation, but rather just as an experiment, this exercise can help you see how much putting yourself before others is your natural habit. We do this because it is comfortable. We do this because making sure we get what we want or need first feels safe. The human brain is wired for survival, and we think that if we don’t get what we need first we just won’t make it. Be selfless, trust God and He will make sure YOU make it!