Is there someone in your life that you would consider a man or woman of faith? This person may be a friend or relative. They may be a Sunday school teacher or pastor. Whoever they are, they stick out in your mind because of their unwavering trust in God. Even when they have experienced hardship, it seems as if that deep, rooted faith never leaves. So faithful are they that we assume fear no longer plays a part in their life.
As I've studied the life of Abraham, I've been struck by his constant cycle of faith. There is not much time when he is simply comfortable. He goes through situations where he is forced to work through his fear by leaning on the word of God and responding in faith. He is not considered one of the great men of faith in Scripture because he never feared. He is considered a great man of faith because he worked through that fear, and found faith on the other side.
In contrast to our faithful friends and Abraham, we make special effort to never leave our comfort zone. Think about the plans you make and the goals that you set for yourself. How achievable are they? Whether they are small goals that can be accomplished quickly or large goals that can be met by the end of the year, we set our goals within the bounds of our comfort zone. We're "realistic" about what we can achieve and we are comfortable staying within those lines.
The issue with this way of living is that it omits the need for God. It actually puts us in the place of God as we control and manage our own lives. We may run to Him when something goes wrong with our plan, but we ask Him to put us back in our comfort zone as quickly as possible. This is not the life led by the great men and women of faith in Scripture and is certainly not the life that Christ led.
Friends, as I set goals for the church I serve and my life, I'm convicted of how achievable they are through my own efforts. I love comfort more than I love trusting God's Word and taking a leap of faith. I want to encourage you to start setting goals and making plans that consider God's promises and require His help. Stretch your spiritual muscles to the point of fear, lean on the promises of God, and see your faith grow by God's grace.
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