Outside Our Comfort Zone

We are having a missions conference at our church this weekend.  Our speakers are Eric and Ellen Peters, missionaries with Pioneers, who serve in Thailand. They spoke about their 20 years in the mission field and people they have met.  But along with that, they focused on the mission field in our own backyard.  We meet and interact with many people every day that we do not know personally.  If we pay attention, we will be able to discern their areas of need.  He explained that often a person's condition may place them outside our comfort zone - and that is exactly the type person God wants us to reach out to.  Jesus is our example of One who left His place of honor and splendor, left His comfort zone so to speak, and stepped into the lives of those who were not like Him at all.  He made Himself available to us, revealed Himself to us, because He loves us so much. Missionaries usually go to countries where they are foreigners, to tell people about Jesus.  I think the people are intrigued as to why missionaries would leave their homes to come and tell them about Jesus.  Maybe they listen to someone who is different than they are just because they went out of their way to reach them.  Jesus went out of His way.  We should go out of our way too.  Tell the manicurist how God answers your prayers and then give her a better than average tip - a tangible reminder of God's goodness, expressed through your life.  Say God bless you to the bag boy who takes out your groceries.  At the drive through, treat the busy worker with respect and look them in the eye and say thank you - when they see your cross or fish on your bumper as you drive away, they will associate your kindness with God, and kindness and good impressions last a long time.  In the doctors office waiting room, comment something pleasant about the person beside you and give them a good word.  Let them know that you trust God for the outcome of your appointment, and tell how He is always beside you, working things for your good and will be there for them too, if they put their trust in Him.  There are so many opportunities to pour God's goodness into the lives of others.  See how many people God can bless by your actions and words every day.

Withdrawing from the Noise

Our lives are filled with noise:  the morning alarm, the shower, the traffic, the ringing phone, the television, the dishwasher, the dog barking, the conversations, our self-talk in our thoughts.  There is always something trying to get our attention.  We want to read the Bible and pray but our day gets away from us and we find ourselves late at night praying as we drift off to sleep.  It is not uncommon.  God understands our distractions.  Jesus even understood distractions.  He had flocks of people calling to him, asking him for things (remind you of your family?) and Jesus had the answer.  In Mark 1:35 Jesus left his disciples very early in the morning and went out to a desolate place alone and prayed.  Many times, Jesus withdrew to be alone and pray to the Father.  To have a relationship with any other person, one has to spend time listening to them and responding to them.  We wonder why we don't have the relationship with God that we desire, but do we treat God differently than we would another person we want to know.

Listening to God is done by spending time reading His Word, the Bible.  It is His love letter to us and teaches us His ways and how He wants us to live.  Most of the first half of the Bible is history of the people of Israel, and books about God's plans for the future of God's people.  Psalms (songs) is good for when you are distressed.  I always find comfort in the book of Psalms.  Proverbs is a book of wisdom and instruction and gives us godly advice and direction.  They are found in about the middle of the Bible.  In the last half, called the New Testament, there are accounts of when Jesus lived on the earth, and the early church.  The book of John is a beautiful book about Jesus and tells much of His love for us and how He provided for our forgiveness by taking the punishment for our wrong deeds (sins).  The books called the epistles are letters written to people in the early church about living a godly life.  The Bible is a precious gift that God has preserved to help us in our lives.

Talking to God, or praying, is just a conversation with Him.  The Bible says He is the Creator of all things and supreme over all things and we must acknowledge that He is who He says He is.  Asking forgiveness for our wrong deeds is important because we are accountable to God for our actions.  Thanking God for all the good things in our lives is essential.  There is always something to be thankful for.  Then, we present all our anxieties and needs to the Lord.  Pray for problems to be resolved, for Him to meet your immediate needs, for your family and friends, and for your growth.  Like a child grows to adulthood, we grow to be mature in our confidence in God.  We trust Him to help us and He does.

Rise from prayer and know GOD has everything in control.  Think of it as handing over your basket of concerns to One who understands all and has your best interest at heart.  Leave it in His hands and go about your day with confidence in God.

We all need Someone to rely on.  We need a relationship with God, as much as we need the blood in our veins to live.  To know Him, is to really live.  His arms are wide open...