Comfort zones are polluted zones. The easy life is always the enemy of the best life. God put too much in you and I for us to remain dormant and just go with the flow. To just take it easy and just be ordinary. Like oranges are squeezed to get the juice, the best of you and I emanate when we function under some pressure. For us to spread, we’ve got to be stretched.
“Woe to you who think you live on easy street in Zion, who think Mount Samaria is the good life. You assume you’re at the top of the heap, voted the number-one best place to live. Well, wake up and look around. Get off your pedestal.Take a look at Calneh. Go and visit Great Hamath. Look in on Gath of the Philistines. Doesn’t that take you off your high horse? Compared to them, you’re not much, are you?”Amos 6:1-2 The Message Translation
There is something divine about optimum pressure. I’m not referring to pressures that come from worries, anxiety, depression and the likes. Absolutely not. I’m referring to not taking life with levity, not taking the easy route to get things done. I’m referring to responding to challenges of life with the I-am-more-than-a-conqueror-through-Christ’s mentality and corresponding works to go with it, because most times, great prizes are never received until we pay great prices. I’m referring to seeing a challenge and having a great burden to bring about a positive change.
Truth is – naturally, our bodies like comfort. Until we train and stretch ourselves, there are dreams that will never be birthed and territories we will never possess. Take a pregnant woman for example, telling her to not push but rather to take it easy at the hour of child delivery is a crazy talk to her. I mean- there’s a whole human being who made an abode in her for 9 full months. Who even cares if the time is a little less? Every cell in her brain and voice in her head screams, “Get this human out of me!” Being at ease is definitely not an option.
God has given you a body and mind. He gives wisdom too. Nevertheless, He’ll never think for you. He gave farmers seeds and soil. And that’s about it. The tilling and tending, and harvesting is the farmer’s sole responsibility. God has done all He can do for you. You have the mind, the mouth, the wisdom. He won’t write the proposal for you. He gave you a smart mind but he won’t read the texts and write the tests in your stead. To lose the extra weight, He won’t run on the tread mill for you. Before those muscles get built, the body has to be stretched through exercises. If you like abs like I do, you won’t just sit there and wish for it. (Don’t ask me why I like abs) You’d stretch to get those. So is it with you and I. Certain pressures must be put on us to reveal the glory of God upon our lives. Take a cue from the unattractive dough who went from being just a dough to being a set of sumptuous pastries only after the baker applied some pressure on it. I am not in anyway saying that you will be eaten. (LOL) You get my gist. It’s your products and services that will be highly sought after…
Friend, do not avoid the necessary pressure. Do not get comfortable in your comfort zone. It is your responsibility to stretch in order for you to spread in knowledge, influence, finance, capacity and what have you. Find opportunities to be stretched. Read daily for an extra 30 minutes. Take that 15 minutes walk you’ve been staying away from. Go volunteer at that organization. Pay for that Masterclass. Get up an hour earlier than your usual wake-up time to fellowship with God more. S–T–R–E–T–C–H YOURSELF! You will not tear, you will spread.
With love and passion,
Ashley
