Come out of your comfort zone

If there's one thing I hate more than anything it's moving. Packing up years of accumulated stuff and  moving it across town, across country, to another state or as in this most recent case, to another cubicle at my workplace just doesn't appeal to me. In the short time I've been on my job, I've been asked to move five times within the same large, open floor plan. Needless to say, I took this latest uprooting hard mostly because I was comfortable where I was.

I had got use to being there. I was friendly with my cubicle mate, liked the limited view from the nearby window and it was close to the bathroom. Then somebody got the bright idea to move us around...AGAIN! Reluctantly, I arrived at my newly assigned digs loaded down with boxes and determined not to like it. At this point I couldn't see any positives. And to make matters worse, I was thrown in with a new group of co-workers who I pegged as "younger, louder and most unfriendly." There was no way I had anything in common with this bunch, nor did I ever think I would. Right now, you're probably thinking that I'm a real SNOB without the "N." But wait, before you judge me prematurely, read on. It gets better.

As I sat there stewing in my own stubborn juices, the Holy Spirit spoke these words to my heart: "Jesus wasn't comfortable either when he hung on that cross for you. He wasn't comfortable when his accusers spit in His face...wasn't comfortable when the soldiers beat him with cords...wasn't comfortable when they forced Him to carry a heavy cross...wasn't comfortable when the people mocked him as He was dying... wasn't comfortable when the soldiers stabbed Him in his side...wasn't comfortable when his tongue swelled in his mouth from thirst...wasn't comfortable as he struggled to breathe his last breath for you and me." Wow, that really got my attention.

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by guilt and shame realizing now that my present discomfort couldn't even compare to what Jesus had suffered not only for me, but for the whole world. The words of Isaiah 53:5 came back to me: "But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received (GNV)."  Leave it to God to put things in their proper perspective, and us in our proper place...at the foot of the uncomfortable Cross of Calvary. Followers of Christ are not called to a life of ease but to a life of service, even if it means giving up some creature comforts.

SOMETIMES...

Sometimes you can't see the future

When you're stuck in the past...

Sometimes you have to lose everything

To understand the value of having nothing...

Sometimes you have to take risks
In risking lies the greater reward...

Sometimes you have to give up some things

To make room for what's important...

Sometimes you have to move from where you are

To get to where He wants you to be...

Sometimes you have to yield your will to His

Let go and let God...

He will heal and restore your broken places.

Jesus and The Electric Slide

"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."  Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:22-23


If Jesus were still alive today, do you think he would do the Electric Slide if it meant saving another soul?  From what I've read about Jesus, I think he would and here's why. First of all, Jesus was very relational. He cared more about people than he did tradition. In fact, he often broke with the traditions of the religious leaders of his day to reach out those persons he wanted to heal and set free. Sinners were not welcome in the religious institutions of that day. They were often found outside the temple gate begging for alms. 

But Jesus changed all that by taking the Gospel to them. Jesus earned "street cred" by eating with sinners and associating with men and women whose reputations were considered unwholesome. In fact, Jesus made his reputation by doing some of his best known miracles among social outcasts, namely lepers, cripples, thieves and demon-possessed. I believe if the Electric Slide had been around in Jesus' day, he would have found a way to re-purpose it and use it to attract people to the Gospel. 1 Samuel 16:7 says that " the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 

Those who criticize others for dancing in church are looking on the outward appearance. They lack the spiritual discernment to see beyond the physical realm. Dancing in church is not an evil as long as the purpose is to glorify God. 2 Samuel 6:14 says King David, a man after God's heart, "danced before the Lord with all his might." And as David danced, God was looking at his heart, and was so pleased by David's worship that he made mention of it in the Bible. If the Bible were still being written today, I wonder how many Sunday church services would be worthy of mention? 

Jesus set the example for the Church. To be relevant today, the Church must relate to where people are --- spiritually as well as physically. Jesus did not sit in the temple and wait for sinners to come to him; he went after them, often undertaking exhaustive, cross country trips in the process. Some religious folk have a hard time with this concept because they think there's something sacred about stained glass windows and polished pews. Far from it. All that it means is that the world can't see in and the Church can't see out. Far too many "Church folk" are reluctant to leave their pew to "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them [sinners] to come in, that my [God's] house may be filled" Luke 14:22-24.

What would happen if the Church broke with tradition every now and again, and fired up a bar-be-cue pit on the back lot, blasted some uptempo praise tunes from the church speakers and just had a good ole time in the Lord? I say, turn up the volume and let's dance. Who knows, it just might shake up the neighborhood and attract some lost soul passing by to Christ.