Introduction: (Read Luke 5:4-6)
In 2005, I was deployed to Taji, Iraq. I was a platoon sergeant at that time, and we had only been in theater roughly two weeks. Our arrival led the insurgency to be hot and heavy during those early weeks. Insurgents knew that we had not yet fully set up our fighting positions; therefore, we were vulnerable and easy targets for them.
One early morning, around 01:00 am, Private Gonzalez and I were walking back from the guard towers after my health and welfare checks of the troops when mortar shells started raining down (known as red rain) on our Forward Operating Base (FOB). Quickly, Gonzalez and I took cover next to a berm in an attempt to avoid any shrapnel in our vicinity. As we lay flat on the dirt, we could feel the impact of the mortars hitting the ground as the shockwaves travelled through our bodies. We were scared. As we lay there, I knew that I had to get myself and Gonzalez into shelter if we wanted to increase our chances of survival. I was terrified, but I managed to gather my thoughts together and to analyze my situational awareness. I needed to calm my body down and to talk myself into bravery.
The mortars were coming in roughly 45 seconds apart, so I told Gonzalez that when the next mortar was heard, we would race to a building about 300 yards from our location. Private Gonzalez did not want to do it. He was too scared. For the time being, the berm gave him a sense, though a false sense, of safety and security. To be honest, I didn’t want to move, either, but I knew that if only one shell landed on our side of the berm, we would be killed. I had to convince Gonzalez to break away from his comfort zone and the false security of the berm, to take a leap of faith. Doing so was the only means of survival.
Through the grace of God, we made it safely to the building and took up fighting positions in case of a breech in the first security line. Several hours later, the attacks stopped, and a green light came over my radio. As we began to make the damage assessment reports, we came to a crater in the ground, next to a small, supply trailer splattered with shrapnel. As I began assessing the damage to the parked trailer, Gonzalez called me to look toward him. He pointed to our initial secured position at the berm, no more than 20 feet from where this mortar shell had exploded.
Looking back at that situation, I knew that God had saved us. God Himself had called us to move from the berm, our comfort zone, our place of supposed safety. He gave us the courage to get up and move. There is no way possible I could have mustered that amount of courage on my own, for I was terrified for myself and Private Gonzalez.
BODY
The Bible is full of motivation, pushing for us to get out of our comfort and safety zone. Jesus taught Simon to step out of that zone. We see this in Luke 5:4-6 for, after stepping into Simon’s boat and addressing the crowd, Jesus asks Simon to pull out to the deep water, away from the shore, and begin to fish. Simon begins to make excuses, answering that they had worked hard and had not caught anything. But, he gives in by, basically, saying, “If you insist.” When he pulled out to the deep and cast his nets to the sides of the boat, the blessings began to come, filling the nets. The blessings were so abundant that help was needed. Indeed, the nets were breaking, and the boat began to sink.
Simon was a fisherman, so we have to assume that he knew what he was doing. Many times, we think we know what is best for us. We build this knowledge by setting patterns, patterns that keep us comfortable. We build comfort in tangible things, such as money, food, clothing, education, family, and friends. These things give us a sense of safety.
When Jesus called on the first disciples, He was asking them to leave everything behind, everything that had made them who they were up to that specific moment. Do you ever wonder if they pondered first whether or not to take the leap that bound them in Christ, the leap away from their comfort zone?
When Private Gonzalez and I took shelter next to the berm, I pondered whether or not we should move. I had received a vast amount of training in warfare, but, when it came time to trust my training, I froze. I had nothing left. The berm was my safety. Yet, just like the disciples who took a leap of faith to trust Christ, I took a leap of faith in my training. It was only through the grace of God, however, that we survived that day.
We should understand that everyone has a comfort zone. This comfort zone is a place where we live, with boundaries that give us a sense of emotional security with the decisions that we make. When we step outside those boundaries, we leave behind that perfect place, our own box, and begin to push and test the limits outside our comfort zone.
When God presents us with a need to leave our safety zone, we question, make excuses, and get scared. What if it doesn’t work? What if it backfires? What if I lose everything? What if it fails? It literally takes a true leap of faith in God to step outside our comfort zones.
I am not saying that being in a comfort zone is a negative aspect of life. I am not saying that we should take risks just to leave our comfort zones. We should never do so without prayer and conversation with God. The need to step out of our comfort zone means that, at some time, we will be asked to leave our comfort zone. Why? Remaining in that comfort zone may keep us from learning and experiencing things that are good for us, things that promote God’s Kingdom.
So, how can we know when our comfort zone is holding us back? Stress, monotony, jealousy, greed, anxiety—these are a few of the things that hold us back from stepping out of the normal boundaries of our lives. So, how do we deal with such barriers?
First, when Christ calls on us to step outside our safety zone, He is asking us to trust Him in breaking the fear barrier. When you are afraid of a new event, or of taking on a new task or action, make a list of the things that raise your fears. Then, pray about them. Make a plan to face your fears. Tackle one at a time. Begin small, taking risk in measurable amounts.
Secondly, get a partner. When Simon began to catch an abundance of fish, he realized he could not handle it on his own. He quickly called upon his friends to come help him. People are at times faced with troubles that are just not meant to be endured alone. Friendships can help us in the times when we must carry more than we can bear. King Solomon says in Ecclesiastes that two strands are better than one, and two are better than three.
Thirdly, imagine success. If we spend time visualizing the goal before us, we will be more willing to risk the possible hardships needed to achieve that goal. Sometimes, our brains need a break from studious thinking and analysis. Daydreaming about success can help us step outside our comfort zone.
And, finally, we should detach ourselves from our surroundings and accept the calling that we hear and see. Our comfort zone keeps us within a very predictable space, one where we know exactly what is going to happen. But, fear of the unknown will keep us stuck in our space, immovable, forever. What if the disciples had not dropped their fishing nets into the water? When it comes to the ministry, we must let go of our expectations and accept the actions and results of the Holy Spirit. When we take risks for the Gospel, while seeking the will of God, the Lord is certain to help us.
We see this in the book of Joshua. The Lord called upon Joshua, the assistant of Moses, to lead the people of Israel after Moses’ death. Here, Joshua was being asked to step outside his comfort zone. And, because it was the will of God, the Lord was with Joshua.
CONCLUSION
In our lives, just as in the lives of the disciples and of Joshua, we will be called by God to step outside our comfort zone, to leave our safe boundaries, to take on new assignments, tasks, or endeavors. When we do, we must seek the support from husband or wife, from a friend, or from the church. We must be steadfast in prayer. If it is the will of God, and we make God the priority in our new goal, the Lord will be with us to ensure accomplishment and success.
Today, more than ever, the Lord calls upon us to step outside our comfort zone. He calls upon us to pull out from the shore and to cast out our nets. The blessings are plentiful—more than we could ever want or need. Our Christ is good!
Today, the Lord Jesus asks us to step outside our comfort zone, to bring our fears, our hurts, and our sins before Him. Today, more than ever, we must never forget this: where the Lord is, there is success. From Genesis chapter one to the end of Revelation, the Lord gives us a second chance, over and over, by leading us to leave our safety zone behind.
The comfort zone of the world is not at all innocent. The devil wants to keep us in that hold. So, break the barrier by the power of the Holy Spirit. Put your trust in Christ today and experience a new sense of safety—salvation through the blood of Christ. The Father poured out His wrath on His own Son so that we could experience a new boundary, a boundary apart from this world. His love for us is so abundant, bringing much more than the fish Simon caught that day when he dropped his nets into the deep sea. Christ paid the price so that we could enjoy His blessings and His Kingdom. All glory be to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord the King is great!
