After a long day, there is nothing like resting my head on my pillow and slipping in bed under my cozy duvet. I love my bed. It is perfect for me, so comfortable and inviting. Have you ever felt like you were glued to your bed? That is me almost every morning.🤦 I am just too comfortable and relaxed, I don’t want to be disturbed. But, I have a toddler, so that doesn’t last long. Maybe you have dogs that need to be taken out, the little people and little animals, oh and work…have a way of getting you up out of your bed; taking you away from your comfortable resting place, jolting you into the realities of the dawn of a new day! Maybe you are comfortable in your position at work, you’ve finally gotten your job down pact; it no longer requires much effort on your part. After much growth and letting things go, your relationships have finally reached a sweet spot. Everyone is nice to each other, there is no tension in the house, things are comfortable. Most of us love to be comfortable. But what happens when you realize that being comfortable is not always what is best? I once learned a valuable lesson: In order for growth (true transformation) to take place, you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
What’s wrong with being comfortable?
Comfortable is the state of being at ease, free from affliction. No one wants to be uncomfortable. Our natural desires lean towards seeking comfort. But as I have found, our natural desires (aka flesh) can mislead us. Seeking comfort at all times can cause us to miss out on opportunities for growth. If you examine your life and really think about the times you were stretched out of your comfort zone, you may find that those experiences led to the greatest growth and transformation. I can recall the times when I would step into a room and not seek to start conversations with anyone but the people I already knew. I was comfortable with them, I didn’t worry about what we would talk about or what they would think of me. I was at ease. But as I started to grow and as God began to work in my life, I began to seek out those whom I did not know. At first it was scary and it was awkward because I was outside of my comfort zone, but I did it anyway and I must say it was awesome. What if I never allowed myself to be comfortable with being uncomfortable? I likely would not be blogging. I definitely would not have some of the beautiful relationships that I now have. And I would not know that God did give me a spirit of boldness. And not just that, God gave me a love for people; people that are like me, people that are nothing like me. Getting out of my comfort zone enabled me to see people through God’s eyes. So I don’t just see a wayward teen, I see a young man full of potential. I don’t just see a stand-offish, high class lady, I see a woman who wants to be loved and cherished. And on those levels, I can connect. I can spread love and I can share faith all because I finally got comfortable with being uncomfortable.
From physical perspective, most of us like being comfortable more than we like being disturbed or in pain. Ask any physical fitness trainer or athlete how they feel when they are training and most likely the answer will not be “Comfortable.” Pain and discomfort are part of the training process. We have all heard the saying, ‘no pain, no gain’ and for the most part I would agree with that. Women go through a great amount of pain to birth a baby. Olympic athletes push themselves time and time again past their physical limitations in order to compete at the highest levels. But how does that relate to our daily lives? Americans are amongst the most comfortable people in the world. The majority of us have adequate housing, access to transportation and education, the ability to work in safe conditions. We are a nation that thrives on comfort. Earlier I talked about how I love the comfort of my bed. Just thinking about its warmth and coziness gives me feelings of safety and peace. But man, I tell you….that comfort is not all its cracked up to be. Sadly, that comfort has stolen precious time from me. It has stolen encounters with God from me. And as I think about it now, it pains me that I allowed my physical comfort to keep me from spending time with the everlasting God. Comfort seems nice in the moment but when you count the costs of comfort over time it doesn’t balance out. This is the moment, this is the day, this the hour that I declare comfort and being comfortable will no longer keep me from experiencing the best that God has for me.
I can’t be alone…
What about you? Are there any areas in your life where you have become too comfortable? Maybe its a conversation that needs to happen. Or is it time for you to apply for that position? Maybe it is time to make that move from the place you have lived since you were little. Could it be that you, too, have placed being comfortable before your relationship with God? Let’s get comfortable with being uncomfortable and see what God will bring forth! The best is yet to come!!!
~Enjoy your blessings~
LaTrice
You are definitely not alone! I can relate to everything you said…specially being glued to my bed every morning – aka “not a morning person” right? I love how you point out that this “comfort” has stolen precious encounters with our Heavenly Father… I felt this way before – another morning that I left God waiting and the guilt of letting my body control my Spirit. let’s change the cycle! I realize I cannot do the same thing day after day and expect different results (insanity). Let’s put comfort in its place and experience what God has in store for us!!!