Those who walk by faith and those who desire to walk by faith often speak of getting out of their comfort zones. Ironically, walking by faith is supposed to go hand-in-hand with joy and peace, as walking by faith is interwoven with walking in the Spirit. One cannot really do the one without the other. Remember, the fruit of the Spirit includes joy and peace as found in Galatians 5:22-23. Walking by faith often means going into uncharted territory, where familiarity and us part ways. It can become a desperate place for those unaccustomed to being out of control. It has driven many a man or woman of faith to their knees. Let this serve as a hint to us all: the time to be desperate for God is before we are desperate!
The problem with walking by faith is that it is very uncomfortable to the flesh. The flesh loves to control everything, and that includes realm of the Spirit. The flesh really does not mind us walking in the Spirit as long as it remains in control, which is how religion came into being in the first place. In truth, walking in the Spirit means death to flesh, and all its agendas. Many agendas are birthed out of comfort zones, because there is a comfort behind knowing what is going to happen next. Of course, many result from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Walking by faith embraces the will of the Father, and that is something the flesh simply cannot do. In simple terms, the flesh is going to fight against the Spirit at every turn. Therefore, one of the steps one needs to take in maintaining peace is minding the Spirit and mortifying the flesh with its deeds.
One thing to keep in mind is that having an agenda can interfere with patience. The moment we are set on having our way, and something interferes, impatience is sure to manifest. Something experienced by many, if not by all. As a supplemental note: if you find yourself becoming impatient with people or circumstances, step back and see if you need to let go of your agenda. Sometimes the Lord has something else in His mind than what you have on yours. Scripture says, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17, KJV). There are two things to consider in relation to faith. First, before we do something, we need to wait until we hear from God if we are going to walk by faith. Secondly, sometimes we can get a picture in our mind as to how something is supposed to happen, once we hear the Word. When what God is actually doing is contrary to what we pictured in our mind, or least appears contrary to the Word, agitation may very well set in. We have to stay focused on what was spoken, not what we think it should look like! Comfort comes when we mind His Word, not our agenda.
Here is a big one: being comfortable when it is uncomfortable requires trust. Part of the reason many do not want to leave their comfort zones is that they do not trust God. Many fail to trust the Father because they do not honestly believe He loves them. Lets be honest, if we do not believe that the Father loves us, we will not trust that He has our best interest at heart. If this is the case for anyone, he or she is going to have a very difficult time going into unfamiliar places and doing unfamiliar things. One of the prayers that Paul prayed for those at Ephesus was that they would, “know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). If you happen to be one who struggles with the idea that God loves you, this may help: Do you love God? If you do, that is one proof that He does, because you could not love Him unless He loved you first! After all, “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1John 4:19, KJV). Leaving our comfort zone and doing great exploits for God requires intimacy with the Father. The more we know Him, the more peace we will have. Indeed, we will be more apt to allow His peace to rule in our hearts.
Know this: we cannot compare our natural fathers on earth with our heavenly Father, no matter how wonderful or terrible they may be. He has no equal! While He is God and we bow before Him as such, He is also known as Abba, which means Daddy (Papa), which is a term of intimacy. Jesus called Him Abba, and in Romans 8:15 it says that we have, “received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” While, “Father” is a title of respect, “Abba” (Daddy or Papa) is a title of endearment. As the Holy Spirit leads you, perhaps address Him as “Daddy” while you spend time with Him in prayer. How about, “Good morning Daddy, I love You,” for example. The idea is to get intimate with Him. If you draw close to Him, He will draw close to you!
Being comfortable when it’s not comfortable requires that we walk intimately with God, and putting away any flesh driven agendas. We need to focus on what was actually spoken, and not what we picture it to be. We can trust Him because He does love us. After all, God is Love! One last thought: if something is too big for us, remember that God made provision for it. He is our Provision, and He gets the glory!
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