Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Embracing Change – Experiencing Growth
32. And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And He took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto Him.
33. Saying, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests, and to the scribes; and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles:”
34. “And they shall mock Him, and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him, and shall kill Him: and the third day He shall rise again.”
Mark 10:32-34
God’s Growing Season
Comfort creates the illusion that all is well and that life will be predictable, easy, and nice. The truth is, nothing could be further from the truth. There are times when life is harsh and cruel. Those are times when wish things were easy and yet God has chosen those times as growing seasons. God has called us into those moments of discomfort in order that we would bear the fruit of righteousness. These growing seasons are times of change even if it means suffering. These growing seasons will press hard against the soul and cause us to wonder if things will work out. Much like the Disciples, we continue to follow Jesus, but we follow in shock and amazement that difficulty accompanies discipleship.
The truth is, God changes us in those growing seasons. No one can grow without a willingness to change. Productivity does not come without discomfort. The discomfort is designed to make us think differently. It pulls us away from the familiar. We continue to follow Jesus even when we are shocked and startled at the struggles. And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And He took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto Him. Here is the good news; Jesus will never allow us to walk alone in those tough growing seasons. He uses discomfort to produce determination.
Our problem is that we don’t like discomfort; and yet without discomfort we will never progress as God intends. G.K. Chesterton (British writer and theologian) said, “an adventure is often mistaken as an inconvenience, and an inconvenience is an adventure in disguise.” We call trials “bad things,” God calls our trials opportunities to know Him better through growing seasons. How would you know that God, the Great Shepherd, could lead you through the valley of the shadow of death if you have never been there? It is in the valley that we learn distress yields to Divine presence. The Disciples followed Jesus.
Accepting the Challenge in order to Bring About Change
Motivational speaker and author, Luvvie Jones, gave a TED Talk on this subject and referenced a couple of interesting points. First, you must be a troublemaker and challenge the status quo. Second, it is really the first domino that starts the chain reaction. It is the person willing to take the risk of going forward that makes change happen. Third, to truly live you must take risk rather than constantly playing it safe. Embracing and engaging change is the way to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. Ms. Jones makes some points that apply directly to Christians. Our faith is designed to challenge us instead of seeking comfort zones.
Faith calls you to be comfortable with the unfamiliar. Take one look at Jesus as He prepared to go to the extreme to save mankind from sin. Jesus was accustomed to discomfort. The Disciples followed on in amazement, yet they followed. Faith does not mean there is a clear understanding of the subject matter. Jesus warned them of the perils ahead. And He took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto Him … Saying, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests, and to the scribes; and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles … And they shall mock Him, and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him, and shall kill Him: and the third day He shall rise again.”
Nothing changes when you are comfortable and cozy in the status quo. Jesus wanted the Disciples to learn that it is only when you move through the “dead places” and “death valleys” that you discover Resurrection Power. Here is the point. You will always have emotions telling you that going forward is too hard, too risky, too stressful. You must make the choice of whether to listen to your feelings or to listen to your Savior. Your Savior is walking forward so resist emotional leadership if you are going to move forward with Jesus. In keeping in step with the Master, you must walk on and let emotions follow. The voices calling out for comfort will scream in your ears, “let’s go back … let’s get some rest.” But, it is the Voice of the Spirit that whispers to us “press on for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Luvvie Jones statement about taking risks applies to the believer. Using the domino scenario, we observed the first domino causing a chain reaction that impacts others. If the dominos falls, we must think about the possibility of one domino that would stand up. What if there was a domino that was strong enough to stand and had the power to influence other dominos to do the same. Child of God, that is the Christian. That is the believer that defies the world and takes the “stand in the evil day.” That is the Christian girded with the full armor of God who says “I will not fall down in this fallen world – On Christ the Solid Rock I will stand.” We do not need our emotions to agree with following Christ in perilous times. We simply need to press on and follow Jesus.
I’m pressing on the upward Way. New heights I’m gaining everyday.
Still praying as I onward bound. Lord plant my feet on higher ground.
Lord lift me up and I shall stand by faith on Canaan’s tableland.
A higher plane that I have found. Lord plant my feet on higher ground.
My heart has no desire to stay, where doubts arise and fears dismay.
Though some may dwell where these abound, my prayer, my aim is higher ground.
By the Grace of God and with the strength of God, the Saints of God press on. We press on amid the conflict and turmoil. We press on through uncertainty, calamity, and adversity. Our prayer and aim is higher ground. If you are like me, you are learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
The agitation produces frustration, and the frustration produces determination. It is the determination that helps us see our destination. Jesus did not keep His eyes fixed on the Cross. O no. Jesus looked beyond the Cross and saw the Joy that was set before Him. With that Joy in view, he endured the Cross, despised the shame and humility, and then sat down at the right Hand of God Almighty.
Others are Watching Your Walk
Remember, you are that one domino that may be impact other dominos on this board called life. You can either fall or you can stand up and make the difference. One wrong step, one wrong move may cause others to tumble.
Caleb, in the Old Testament, realized the position he was in. He was one of the twelve spies that was sent to search out the Promised Land for his fellow Israelites. Caleb, along with Joshua, returned with the ‘good report’ that God had given them the land. The other ten spies started a “negative domino effect.” They brought an evil report that discouraged the hearts of the Camp of Israel. It was so intense that the people wanted to appoint another leader to replace Moses so they could return to Egypt. Caleb stood strong on his convictions and said, “Let us go up at once and possess the land, for we are well able.” Numbers 13:30. What was Caleb doing? He was being that good domino and standing people upright in their faith. It turned out, the Camp of Israel listened to the negative dominos and that resulted in disaster. They wandered in the Wilderness for forty years all because of ten bad dominos. What is the application? If you listen to negativity from others, you will spend years wandering around and unable to find your purpose in God. Listen to the Voice of Jesus and learn to be comfortable with the discomfort of the moment.
Here are the practical things we can do in order to develop a comfort level with being uncomfortable. Recognize who you are following. As followers of God, other voices and influences should not be leading you down alternate paths. When you are committed to Jesus Christ, that commitment will keep you strong in faith because the strength does not come from you but from the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. Just remember the Holy Spirit is leading you and it is your duty to follow. Just keep walking.
If you are going to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, you must Escape the crowd mentality. Don’t let the crowd talk you into bad decisions. Jesus turned back and spoke to the Disciples. He took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto Him. Just the thought of Jesus talking to us during those uncomfortable situations gives peace and comfort. Remember Child of God, your only hope is in Jesus. Just keep walking.
If we are going to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, we must also Seek things above and not things on the earth. Jesus had His goal set on the third day while the Disciples were amazed with today’s agenda. They were saying, “I can’t believe that this is so hard.” If they were seeking things above, they would have seen that sometimes you have to go through in order to get to. Jesus had His eyes fixed on His Father Will. Just keep walking in Christ and we too will discover the Joy of the Lord.
Remember Caleb, while he did not get his domino opportunity with the old Camp of Israel, he did get his day. Because Caleb decided to seek things above, God allowed him to stay alive and thrive for forty years while all the negative dominos died off. Caleb remained alive because he kept walking by faith. Finally, his day came when they entered the very land that others said they would not possess. Not only did Caleb enter the land, but the very places where he had walked forty years earlier, God said to him, “its all yours now.” That’s what you get for being a good domino. Just keep walking.
Not only must we Recognize Who we are following, Escape the Crowd, and Seek Things Above, we must Take Time to Praise God. No matter what you go through while you are following Jesus, you should still offer praise. The Devil has sent afflictions and troubles to attack your praise. But what the Devil does not know is that praise cannot be bound by hardships, hang-ups, by hurts, nor harassments.
First and foremost, thank God for how far He has brought you, because He brought you a mighty long way. You may not be where you need to be, but you’re not in your sin.
Then, praise God for how good He has been to you. Have you ever taken the time to think about God’s goodness? Yes, you are following Him in amazement now, but there is something far greater than amazement and shock. It is called Amazing Grace. God’s Amazing Grace has brought us safe thus far – and that same Grace will lead us on.
Then, we praise God for bringing us on this journey with Him. You see, you and I were once bad dominos. Not only were we fallen, but had fallen flat on our face and could not get up. But God, raised us from the dunghill of shame and put us on this Journey of Faith. That’s why we can praise God. That’s why I Take Time to Praise.
Not only that, but God will always be with me. That is why I can Take Time to Praise because there will never be a moment when I am not covered by His Love. Praise God anyhow as you keep on following Him. You are a good domino now. Don’t fall out. Don’t fall down. Take your stand and praise God as you go forward.