Get out of your comfort zone!
“The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are’” (NLT) Jonah 1:1-2
When a snail is poked in the eyes, it recoils into its shell. When a millipede is disturbed, it winds up. Such is the human tendency. Each one of us naturally gravitates towards our comfort zone, a place where there is no opposition, threats, or impediments and where we can be in a relaxed mood. However, if 2018 is going to be a great year for us, then it is about time we avoided the path of least resistance.
On Sunday January 3, 2016, whilst I was still in the New Year celebratory mood, I got a call from an elder in my local congregation about a trip we had discussed earlier. We were to go to towns in Northern region of Ghana, West Africa to train church leaders. It was my first time in Northern Ghana and the harmattan was not making it any enjoyable. Besides I was planning to see my thesis supervisor the following day. My mind kept on conjuring up excuses but eventually I decided to embark on the trip.
From Tamale to Chindri, we spent the night at a newly-built and well-furnished hotel. The experience was so enjoyable that leaving the next day was like shaking a squirrel out of his hibernation when it has barely started. I had to talk myself out of my reverie, realising the task ahead. In subsequent nights, we slept in places which was the very opposite of my experience in Chindri but I was content, knowing that I didn't make the trip from the south to the north to enjoy a vacation but to execute the Lord’s bidding.
This year, the Lord will put a demand on our potential. He will require us to stretch and press on. He will require us to trod unfamiliar terrains and wade through uncharted waters. He will require us to get out of our comfort zone and launch into the deep. If you want to know the consequences of going the opposite direction when the Lord calls on you, ask Jonah (Read Jonah 1:15-17).