In the Zone

Do you live in the faith zone or the comfort zone?

I was thinking about how in the past, every time I heard a sermon about the faith zone vs. the comfort zone in church, it left me with the simple impression that the comfort zone is easy, and the faith zone is hard; but we’re supposed to choose the faith zone if we want to walk out our journey through life in victory. I never really took the time to think deeply about it because the message was clear.

I was speaking with my neighbor, and she was in the middle of repotting a plant that had become rootbound. She proceeded to talk about how people become rootbound in life and stay stuck in places that they have outgrown. I felt like I had made a call to the sermon hotline because she was preaching! I know very little about caring for plants. I found myself fixated on the word “rootbound,” so I did some research. (i.e., Googled it.)

Rootbound: Having roots formed into a dense, tangled mass that allows little or no space for further growth.

Because Google always knows exactly what I am thinking, right below the definition I immediately found the answer to my next question. “What happens if you don’t repot a rootbound plant?”

The stressed roots may start to die. A severe case can essentially strangle the plant. (This sounds terrible!) To correct the condition, root-bound plants need to be repotted. This can be into a larger pot or the same-sized container with trimmed roots and fresh soil.

Thankfully, the plant can be repotted, giving it a fresh start. I began thinking about how much this scenario correlates to our human experience of getting stuck in the comfort zone. Before we know it, we may easily become rootbound, resulting in an unfulfilled, mediocre life. So many people go through life this way, never gaining the courage to allow themselves to be “repotted” into a larger pot. Being repotted into the same-sized container with trimmed roots and fresh soil makes me think that in life, this is nothing more than a lateral move and we may eventually become rootbound again. Lateral moves look like fresh starts at first, but I see it as taking the same test over again that I previously failed.

“If you want to destroy someone, keep them in the comfort zone.”

From “Life is Messy” by Matthew Kelly

In observing my life and behaviors, and my perception of the behaviors of people around me, I thought about what being in the comfort zone truly meant for me. The comfort zone allowed me to live in fear without having to acknowledge it as fear. Whether it was a job, friendship, relationship, or many other factors, I could always find a way to convince myself to stay for much longer than I should have. I think that when we spend an extended amount of time in the comfort zone, we are not comfortable at all. We have just conditioned ourselves to live with the discomfort and operate within the dysfunction. We convince ourselves that we are comfortable, while knowing in our soul that the situation is just familiar, and we are afraid of the unknown.

“Don’t cheat on your destiny with your distraction.”

From “Male vs. Man” by Dondre Whitfield

Distractions may keep us stuck in the comfort zone and they keep us in bondage to things that are not important. They come disguised in many forms and we may even seek out distractions to create the illusion of being busy. There are seasons in life when we are legitimately busy but even during those times, it is important to pause periodically and confirm whether we are busy out of necessity, poor managers of our time, or are consciously or unconsciously not acknowledging that it is avoidance of what we know we need to prioritize.

We may immerse ourselves in things that we are excellent or skilled at to create delays and convince ourselves that we do not have time for anything else. Distractions are especially hard to identify if the things that we are immersed in also supply income. We either do not realize what is happening or make excuses and refuse to slow down long enough to acknowledge what we know deep inside. By staying in our comfort zone, we are avoiding our fear of the unknown and at the same time wasting our lives away.

Staying in the comfort zone for too long will keep us trapped in our own personal prison. The devil will gladly redecorate that prison cell from time to time (“repot” us in the same sized container) with whatever it is that appeals to us to keep us from realizing that it is a prison. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Whether we know it and understand it or not, there is a battle in the spiritual realm for control of our souls. When we are vulnerable, things that will destroy us seem to look and feel good. If we go through life distracted, we stay trapped; never realizing or fulfilling God’s plan for our lives.

For years, I lived my life stuck in that personal prison. First, I had to become aware of the fact that I was in a prison. Then I realized that the cell door to my personal prison had been open for me to walk out the entire time I was there. Fear is what kept me stuck. What I did not understand at the time is that stepping out of the prison meant stepping fully into a relationship with God and living permanently in the faith zone. The last 3 years of my life have challenged me in ways that I never expected. I can also honestly say that it has been the three most amazing years yet. I have known for a long time that God has a plan for my life, and it is bigger than I can comprehend.

I do not know what the next chapter holds, and I would be lying if I did not disclose the fact that I have moments of fear even as I walk in full relationship with God. Whenever it crosses my mind to go back to the prison cell that I was comfortable and familiar with, God quickly reminds me of how uncomfortable I truly was. I was rootbound for so long. Now that I have been “repotted” in Christ, there is no turning back. I want to do the work that I was put here to do, and I want everything that God has for me.

What I have discovered in my life is that the comfort zone does not exist. There is only the faith zone and the fear zone. There are rest periods within the faith zone, but I must ensure that I do not allow a rest period to turn into fear, landing me back in the prison cell all because I did not trust God.

Taking up permanent residence in the faith zone is not always easy, but it has proven to be more comfortable than the comfort/fear zone. Why? Because when you learn to rest on God’s promises, you have an understanding that all things are working for your good. Your only job is to trust God and move when He guides you to make a move. When you walk according to God’s will for your life, there is no way that you can ever lose.

That sounds simple but we know that life is hard. Growth rarely, if ever comes from a place of comfort. The beauty in this is that when we live in the faith zone, we just have one thing to focus on (Living according to God’s will) rather than several (All the other stresses of the world). This allows us to manage the uncomfortable or painful seasons with a different mindset. The result is years or even a lifetime of fulfillment, peace, and joy.

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