Making A Difference In Your Own Backyard
I just completed a hardcore workout video by Jillian Michaels, who said something that stopped me right in my tracks in the transition between the Warrior 1 and Downward Dog yoga poses.
"I want you to get comfortable with being uncomfortable."
Though Jillian is referring to the grueling act of transforming our bodies via exercise, getting comfortable with the feeling of discomfort applies to our spiritual transformation when we serve our King by serving others. Sometimes we see the need in our own backyard and think we are not equipped to help. Maybe you are intimidated by the thought of speaking to people you don't know personally, so you shy away from projects like visiting the local nursing home. Or, maybe you feel uncomfortable etching out time in your week to go paint the women's shelter on Saturday morning after working a full forty hours.
Jillian says in another of her workout videos that true change happens within us when stuff hurts and we want to quit. Whether it hurts to break out of our routine to paint, or to break out of our insecurities to give someone hope and encouragement, something in us transforms when we take the steps and move through our discomfort.
Something deep down in our soul realizes that when we walk through that discomfort, a refinement occurs that cuts away our self-focus. Just as gold is purified in fire, our faith and our character is purified when we serve others and strive to make a difference, regardless of our level of comfort or convenience. The only way to gain the courage to serve and get out of our comfort zone is through a single-minded focus on why we want to make a difference in our world.
Have you ever asked yourself just what your motivation is? Maybe you aren't quite certain of your motivation, just certain that you need to do something. If this is the case, refer to Matthew 25 where Jesus says that He is blessed and glorified when we reach out to others. Long-lasting motivation to make a difference should stem from our heart, which longs to make Jesus known and lifted up in the ways we serve others.
~Discomfort: You would rather stay in bed on Saturday morning than help paint a fresh coat on the building of the women's shelter.
~Refinement: That Saturday, you experience a sweet sense of joy in the crisp early morning hours as you spend time with your friends, not only brushing paint on a house but painting the hearts of hurt women with a fresh coat of hope.
~Discomfort: You would much rather put your extra money toward the purchase of those super-cute Steve Madden heels than buy extra school supplies to "stuff the bus."
~Refinement: By giving away your money, there is a freedom in know- ing that happiness doesn't come from buying stuff.
~Discomfort: It is hard for you to schedule time in your busy workday to head over to the local high school to mentor a sweet young student on how to put her best foot forward for college interviews.
~Refinement: You realize that you have a knack for relating to young girls, and you enjoy using what you've learned about the "real world" to give her advice on college preparation. Maybe you even volunteer your time more often for a mentoring program?
Just as we enjoy the benefits of our physical transformations when we exercise like mad, regardless of the pain, we also enjoy the spiritual benefits when we focus on our King and allow Him to use us to change lives in our own backyard. There is nothing like the feeling of joy, peace, or hope Jesus pours over us when we impart those very same things on others. Will you join me in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable for the sake of making Jesus known to those in our own backyard?
Sarah Francis Martin is the author of Stress Point: Thriving Through your Twenties in a Decade of Drama (Thomas Nelson) and blogs at www.liveitoutblog.com
(Excerpted from Stress Point: Thriving Through Your Twenties in a Decade of Drama by Sarah Francis Martin. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. ©2012. Used with permission.)
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