Guest Post: Jennifer Secki Shields--How does God call me out of my comfort zone in order to bear fruit?

While I am visiting family, I have asked our "guest" preachers to reflect on a particular question:

How does God call me out of my comfort zone in order to bear fruit? The reflection will be a guest post here.

Each Sunday, my family wakes bright and early to get ready for church.  Since I'm the Director of Christian Education and Don is in the praise band, we arrive an hour or more before worship begins.  On my drive to church I pass the joggers and cyclists.  I pass the dog walkers drinking their coffee.  With a twinge of envy, I notice their "day of rest" looks much more restful than mine.  But, I'm on my way to church, to answer God's call to "bear fruit"--to do my little part to try to make this world a bit more like God imagined it when he birthed it.  We engage in a whirlwind of activities both before and after worship.  It is 1:00pm before we return home, and nearly 2:00pm before we have lunch.

Who would choose this as an enjoyable--a comfortable-- way to spend their Sundays?

Truthfully, following Jesus isn't meant to be comfortable--and Jesus didn't mince words about that.  Jesus described his own comfort level as not even having a place to lay his head (Matt. 8:20) and said, "...the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matt. 7:14).  So why choose this way of life following Jesus?  Because as pleasant as it may be to sleep in on a Sunday, sip coffee, or go for a run, those comforts pale in comparison to the rest and peace that comes from a life lived with God.  My faith does not make me immune to the troubles of human existence.  But, amidst the stress and unpredictability and heartaches, I find strength and calm, blessed with an unwavering vision of hope and redemption given by God, manifest in Jesus, and lived out with those who walk this road with me.

The comforts of the world cannot satisfy a craving for God nor calm the disquiet in the human soul.  No human comfort zone provides adequate answers for our deepest questions--who is God?  Who am I and what is my purpose in this universe?  Who are we, together on this earth?

Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29).  It is yet another strange-but-true paradox from the Gospels--by going out of our comfort zones for the kingdom of God, we find rest and peace that the world, with all its comforts, cannot give.

 

With you on the journey,

Jennifer Secki Shields

Guest Contributor