Leaving the Comfort Zone
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” - Deuteronomy 31:8
I am a creature of habit… anyone else? When I grocery shop, I start with the fruits and vegetables, followed by the meat section, and finish up on the opposite side in the dairy aisle, following the outside perimeter of the store; same pattern, each time.
When I take a walk, I am also a ‘perimeter girl’, following the outside roads of our city, making a perfect rectangle. It has never crossed my mind to change the pattern.
On one of this summer’s hottest days, my neighbor and I decided to take a walk together. We ended up walking farther than we had planned; the conversation was such that we had lost track of time but then realized that we were sweaty, out of water, and still quite a distance from home. My friend asked if I wanted to take a shortcut. What? Leave the perimeter? This was new territory for me but in desperate need of a glass of water, I quickly agreed. We turned onto a dirt path that parallels the elementary school. This perfectly aligned path led to the middle of the city and was half the distance to home. Ironically my friend has lived here for five years and I’ve lived here all my life, never aware of the existence of that specific path.
Today as I laced up my sneakers, I thought about the shortcut. How had I not known about that path? Well, by staying on the perimeter of town, I had missed all that was to be found on the inside. What other paths have I missed?
What about you? How many times do you stay within the comfort zone?
In the nineteenth chapter of the gospel of Matthew, we meet a man that I believe was also afraid to leave the perimeter. Starting in verse 16, a man asked Jesus what one must do to have eternal life. Jesus answered him by stating, “...keep the commandments,” and then Jesus continued on to list them. I imagine the man was feeling confused or maybe even frustrated at this point because he responds in verse 20 to say that he has kept them but still wonders what he is missing. Jesus in His kindness and patience tells this man that if he wants to do more, to sell all of his belongings, give that money to the poor and then follow Him (Jesus). Unfortunately the man was grieved by this thought and walked away. He had lots of possessions and was not willing to let them go. He was doing all of the ‘right things’ by following the commandments but wasn’t willing to leave the safety and comfort of the ‘perimeter’.
There comes a time in every believer’s journey when Jesus invites us to step out of the familiar. He asks us to move beyond the safe, comfortable perimeter of existence and fully trust His path. It might be a change in direction, a prompting to let go of something comfortable, or a call to something new and unknown. He wants to lead us deeper into our faith, beyond the physical acts. These moments can feel unsettling—but they are often where the greatest transformation begins.
The heart, in biblical terms, is often seen as the center of one's emotions, thoughts, will, and spiritual life. God, in His sovereignty assesses the purity, intentions, and faithfulness of our hearts. We too can periodically monitor our own motives of the heart.
This examination of the heart is a critical aspect of the Christian life. It serves as a reminder that outward appearances and actions are insufficient without a corresponding inner transformation. If we always stay in the comfortable safe place and never stretch our limits we become stale and transformation of the heart doesn’t happen. But when we venture onto new paths, we put ourselves in places that stretch our abilities and challenge our comfort zone.
Are you ready for transformation?
It doesn’t happen when we stay in our comfort zones. It begins when we say yes to Jesus—even when we can’t see the whole path ahead. That’s when an amazing change takes place in our hearts. Our trust deepens. Our relationship with Him grows stronger. We begin to live not just safely, but purposefully—led by His love and grace.
Just like my friend who guided us home down an unfamiliar road, Jesus is faithful to walk with us every step of the way. He doesn't just point the way—He goes with us. He leads us to new and beautiful places that we could never discover on our own.
You might not feel ready. That’s okay. Jesus is. Follow His lead.
