The Danger of Remaining In Your Comfort Zone
Updated: Jan 3
A comfort zone is a place of ease, non-movement, familiarity, and stagnation. I once heard someone say or write that a comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there.
Staying in your comfort zone prevents growth and opportunity.
How many times have God impressed upon the mind of your spirit to do something, or say something, or go somewhere but it seemed too challenging or uncomfortable and you failed to move forward. I have experienced this in my own life. I knew what God was asking would take me out of my comfort zone or where I felt safe, so I did not do it.
As a matter of fact, my first book, “You Have What the Father Has,” was supposed to be written years ago; but I struggled with fear, shame, and guilt at that time. I knew this would take me out of my comfort zone, so I did not move forward. However, once I finally wrote the book years later, and I saw so many lives touched, I realized there was nothing to fear, and it was just me remaining in my comfort zone.
Although writing the book was challenging and took me out of my comfort zone, I cannot tell you how much I have grown, the doors that are opening for me and most importantly how many lives I have blessed from writing my book.
A scriptures in the Bible that Holy Spirit laid in my heart to encourage me was this one. Let’s look at it together.
Luke 5:3-6 below:
3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!
Jesus challenged Peter to go out deeper into the sea. I believe that Peter was in a place of familiarity and comfort as he sat there listening to Jesus teach. He was sitting in the boat a little out from the land but after Jesus’ finished teaching, he told Peter to launch out in the deep or go where it is deeper. Peter replied, “Master we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing.” However, once he launched out into the deep, he reaped a harvest (plenty of fish), and realized his mistake in not trusting God.
Where is God telling you to go that is deeper than you have gone, more challenging than you imagined, or much harder than you’ve anticipated? Trust God and believe me that once you start the journey of coming out of your comfort zone, you will be glad you did.
It is dangerous to remain in a place of comfort because it will render you stagnant and you will stunt your spiritual and personal growth and not receive what God has for you. There is so much he wants to bless you with. God is not through blessing you!
It’s time to come out of your comfort zone and receive what God has for you.
Perhaps fear and the shame of your past is keeping you from moving forward. Fear is wrapped in anxiety and procrastination. However, you do not have to live your life in fear. When you trust God and have faith in Him and what his Word says in the Bible, you will experience blessing after blessing.
Here are 5 stepping-stone tips to get you pass fear and your stagnating comfort zone and embrace your future and blessings before you:
1.Replace fear with faith by reading your Bible. Once the Word of God is in your heart, you will move from fear to faith. One of my favorite scriptures to combat fear with is II Timothy 1:7 (NLT) – For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2.Pray. It is important that you pray daily. Praying is simply talking to God. God is our heavenly father, and he loves us unconditionally.
3.Speak life – Proverbs 18:21 (NLT) says, The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. This simply means that when you constantly speak negative things about your life that negative things will manifest in your life. Make a commitment today to speak life!
4.Connect with positive people. Choose your friends wisely. Release negative people who are toxic and don’t believe in you and your dreams. They may not be going where God is taking you so accept that fact and release them.
5.Just do it! Sometimes you must get out there and trust God. Peter did this when he walked on water (Matthew 14:29). You have procrastinated long enough. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in planning and preparation but sometimes we use that as an excuse to not do what we need to do. So put one foot in front of the other and get going! You got this! With God all things are possible!
If you still need more information on moving forward, I suggest getting my book, You Have What the Father Has.” I know it will bless you.
