"Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zone"2 Corinthians 10:12
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
Thoughts for Today:I once won a golf tournament against 50 other players. In fact, my score was 10 strokes better than the closest competitor. Sounds pretty impressive, doesn't it? That is until I tell you -- I was the only one who had ever played golf before. Although my example is imaginary, it does serve to illustrate the point Paul makes in his passage today -- it is never wise to compare ourselves to other people. Why? Either we will puff ourselves up and think we are much better than we are, or conversely, beat ourselves down because we don't measure up.
In our churches today, some people look at those around them, and by comparison, consider themselves to be fine, upstanding, examples of what a Christian should be. It's a real trap. If a church or Bible study group is spiritually cold, then we can become cold as well. We might not even be aware that it's happening. Why? Because of our comparison to other cold Christians. We need to surround ourselves with a variety of believers who challenge us -- with Christians who are on-fire for the Lord, but who may also have a different perspective on what it means to serve God. All too often, I see people who have become complacent in their faith. They are so immersed in their clique of friends, Bible study group, or church, that they have lost their passion for the Lord.
Questions to Ponder:Have you fallen into the same "Christian" routine week after week? I'm not saying that it is wrong, just that we shouldn't become complacent. (Romans 12:11: "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.") Are you measuring yourself against yourself or your closed circle of friends? What other measurement could you use? How do you measure up to Jesus? Will you step outside of your comfort zone?
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