Inspirational Message # 4D Week of Sunday, August 19, 2012 by Alfred Harrell Copyright 2012
After stepping out of our “comfort zone”, what should we do next? Part 2
Stepping out of my comfort zone requires daily effort to remain focused not only on the day to day but also on future goals as well as plans and what works for me may not work for you however there are some things that I believe can empower each one of us in our effort to operate out of our comfort zone with regard to some of our wants, short-term and long-term goals or other things of concern to us.
(1) Former motivational speaker and entrepreneur Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." and 1 Corinthians 15:33 gives the following suggestion though it doesn’t suggest a number of people which is not really relevant, what is relevant is that we need people in our lives who are truly in our corner even when they don’t understand what we’re trying to achieve, “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character.", so at the end the of the day it is not always about how much we have accomplished as much as it may be about the character of those we interacted with outside of our comfort zone and the way each of us was a positive influence upon each other.
(2) When people tell me they had a bad day or say to me for whatever reason it’s going to be a bad day, I respond by saying and those of you who know me have heard the following, “I don’t have bad days only days bad moments.” The Bible writer at 2 Corinthians 4:16,17 encourages us to keep a similar mindset, “16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
(3) Make time for mental, emotional, physical and spiritual rejuvenation at some point in the day in a form that is best for you and your lifestyle. Ecclesiastes reminds us at Chapter 3:1,9-14 of the following: “1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: and 9-14 states 9 ‘What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.”
In conclusion while the suggestions presented may not apply to every step we take in stepping out of our comfort zone they are in themselves, I think, great guidelines that can help us maintain forward momentum even when our best step forward is requires the last little bit of energy that we seem to possess.
Until next weeks message and thank your for reading, Alfred Harrell
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Scriptures used in this article are from the (NIV) New International Version as used on http://www.biblestudytools.com/
