STUCK IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE?
Dennis came back from his vacation and reported on how exciting it had been for him and his wife to see the sights of Alaska. I had asked him if he had ever been to Alaska before, and he said, “No. None of us had ever seen it.” He went to explain, “You know I’m sort of a hometown kind of guy.” And that’s true. He actually has lived most of his life within a relatively short distance of home base. Dennis said, “He sort of had a stretch to do this, but he was really glad they did. Dennis actually had to move out of where he felt comfortable to experience some exciting things he’d never experience. Maybe you are stuck in your comfort zone, missing some scary but exciting things that God wants you to see. I want to share with scriptures taken from Matthw 14:25-29 “During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Lord, if its You, “Peter replied, “Tell me to come to You.” Come, “He said.
You see, Jesus had told His disciples to go on across the Sea of Galilee without Him. They encountered a violent storm, during which the Bible says, “Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” The disciples were freaked out. The Bible says, “...but Jesus immediately said to them: Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid. Lord, if it’s You, Peter replied, tell me to come to You on the water. Come, Jesus said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came to Jesus. You see, Peter dis what no man, other than Jesus, had ever done before or has ever done since: he walked on water! The boat was obviously the safe place to be. But Peter was willing to leave where it was safe place to be. But Peter was willing to leave where it was safe on one condition, “Lord, if it’s You.” And that’s got to be our bottom line, too. Is that You, Lord, leading me out of the boat. I’ve been in and out into the “wild water” of something new/ If it’s You, I’m going! Like Dennis who saw some new things when he moved beyond where he felt comfortable, you will see powerful thing’s you’ve never seen before if you’ll get out of the boat. God is leading you beyond where you feel adequate, where you can figure it out, where you can pull it off, but what a great place to be. You’re in the miracle zone! He’s leading you into a new episode where you’ll need Him more than you’ve ever needed Him before and have Him as you’ve never had Him before. You see, it’s not the water that’s going to hold you up, it’s Jesus. You’re headed where it’s going to be not much of you and a whole lot of God! That is something to be excited about! One day this same Peter who dared to get out of the boat would be led by the Lord to preach the Gospel boldly on the streets of Jerusalem, calling to Christ some of the very people who wanted Jesus crucified. (Talk about getting out of your comfort zone!) And Jesus would ask him to go where no Jew ever thought he’d go-to introduce those nasty Gentiles to Jesus. You see, living by faith turns out to be the really safe way there is to live! But you’ll never walk on water if you never get out of the boat.
