“And Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?'”

Judges 4:14

Debora was a prophetess and judge in the Old Testament. One day, she confronted a man named Barak, asking why he has yet to make a move after being promised victory over a battle. In response, Barak said “if you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” Deborah knew the importance of obeying God and the power that followed His promises…so she went.

This was no easy battle. During this time, the Isrealites were being pursued by a man named Sisera and his great army. But to Deborah, she was willing to get involved because of her confidence in the Lord’s faithfulness. He promised to make a way, and she had full faith in His word.

Long story short, after a miraculous battle that not one of Sisera’s men survived, Sisera took His last breath as a woman named Jael, hammered a tent peg through his temple. Graphic, I know. But if you can manage to look past the gory ending of this story, you will see three people who stepped out of their comfort zone and one amazing God who has yet to break His promises.

Barak: a man whom hesitated because of his unbelief, yet eventually stood strong against an army that logic would claim he had no chance at beating.

Deborah: a woman who believed in the promises of God and carried the burdens of her friend because of her faith in God’s guidance.

Jael: a woman whom knew the Lord’s people have been hurt and the man guilty of doing so was about to get away, so she stepped out, risking her reputation and her own safety for the sake of protecting the people of God.

More often than not, I feel as though we look at Barak, Deborah, and Jael as people with a unique bravery. As God calls us to new assignments we hesitate, move slowly, or refuse to make a move until it is forced upon us. When we find comfort in a circumstance, people, or thing, it is not common to want to give that up. I too, find myself exhausted of change, leading me to hold tightly to any breeze of comfort that passes my way. To the world, it is a beautiful thing to get to the point in your life where you can claim “you’ve made it”. But to God, that belief is the beginning of your self-imprisonment.

Last year, college was not a place I would consider joyful or beneficial. I struggled a lot with making friends, finding jobs related to my major, and building connections with teachers. So as this summer went along, I was convinced this year would be exactly like the last. As the days got closer to moving back on campus, I began to tell myself, “expect nothing different. This is just the life of an introvert.” But oh boy, was that a lie from the ruthless pit of hell.

Reading into stories like this one in Judges, God has begun to show me what it means to truly be free. Spoiler alert: it is found far beyond the walls of your comfort zone. We serve a God of new beginnings. What that means is that we no longer have to rely on the things of this world to bring us identity or security. God promises to be by our side in any and every circumstance. When we decide to become a child of God, a new seed is planted in us.

So this week I aimed to make things different. Waking up at seven o’clock in the morning to read my Bible before my day starts was not easy or comfy, but I wanted the discipline it produced. Going to my teacher after class and asking to meet for coffee and talk about how God lead her to where she is now nearly made me sick, but I wanted to know the peace and joy she gained over her career that sounds a lot like my dream. And accepting invites to hangout with a bunch of people I barely knew made my little introverted heart extremely terrified, but I wanted the to know the love and community God says is found in fellowship with others.

Was I tired of doing things alone most of the last few months? Not really. But I was a little tired of not seeing much fruit for God being produced. My comfort in the countless days alone gave me the idea that because I felt “good”, I didn’t need to change. But that is not how God calls us to live life.

The people in the story mentioned before stepped out in different ways. But what I want to focus in on is that they stepped out in ways that were unlike their norm for the purpose of bringing God glory.

It is not always easy to want to make a change in your life when the waters finally feel settled. But I think about the way God calls us to be anything but lukewarm in our faith. The moment we begin believing our life is “good enough” is the moment we stop expecting God to do wonders. It is only through stepping out in confidence of His power to remain unpredictable that we are truly available.

The last thing I want to live like is someone who thinks life is really about themselves. Although I am not a huge fan of change, it wasn’t until I forced myself to remember God’s promises and desire for obedience that I could walk through the muddy pit of fearing discomfort. In my living room reading just after sunrise, in class, and with friends, I pushed myself to do the unpredictable with an expectancy for God to do the same. Not because I think I deserve it, but because I know He already took care of my future and the only way I can live out His plans to the fullest is by living boldly with that trust.

Believe me. I know it is not easy to step out of your comfort zone. But as a witness to the goodness and faithfulness of our ever-present Father…there is no way I would ever want to go back to being surrounded by the walls built out of the lies of comfort.

So if you want to experience…

the blessing of being a blessing then serve others. Take the first step in building new friendships.

the confidence in your identity then lean into who God says you are through the renewing of your thoughts AND your actions.

the wisdom of God then reach out and find mentors, therapists, counselors, etc. and be consistent in that relationship.

discipline for God then force your actions to reflect that desire in your heart to obey those Christ-centered goals.

Freedom is what is found at the end of your comfort zone. Do not underestimate the wonders of the God. He is the same God who claimed victory over Sisera through Deborah, Jael, and Barak. Do not wait for a Deborah to confront you about your stillness. God made promise after promise to you about joy, hope, salvation, love, peace, etc. Until we become truly available to the endless possibilities God could do through us, we will always be tied down by the manipulative chains of “comfort”.