Leaving Comfort for Courage

This is a piece I (Jeanne) wrote earlier this year when I was facing one of the regular occurring visitors in my life – FEAR. It has served as a reminder to me when FEAR comes knocking on my door – That my God is faithful and that He called me to courage not comfort.

Courage will always require an element of leaving. Leaving is just plain hard. When My 3 year old knows I’m about to leave he will often squeeze as hard as he can around my neck to lovingly manipulate me into staying one more minute.

I know how he feels – because leaving comfort for courage makes me want to wrap my arms around every ounce of safety in my life – hoping if I hold on tight enough that I won’t have to taste the pain of the leaving what I know is inevitable.

Leaving comfort and safety looks and sounds alluring and attractive – but the attraction fades quickly – in fact I have never felt so vulnerable, small, and needy…. words that are not known for their alluring appeal.

Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to question your decision.
It will cause you to look around for the safety bars, seatbelt, and any kind of security button.

Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to try to make something happen… scheme, make phone calls, send out hail mary e-mails– anything to distract from sitting in the fear.

Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to doubt your abilities – you will look at everything that you have failed at in the past… failed relationships, failed financial decisions, failed leadership calls, – and you will wonder will you repeat those patterns and are they indicators to go out and look for comfort again.

Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to doubt the author of the calling on your life. Thinking that God is too busy to take care of your little fear

Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to be jealous of your neighbors who seem to be perfectly content with their lives – you will wonder if you are some sort of crazy person that has a unhealthy propensity to live on the edge.

Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to look for the easy way out.

Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to pray like never before… wonder if you know any scripture to cast out the inner demon of doubt.

Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to white knuckle yourself around anything that feels secure and semi safe – even though you know earthly security and safety is a mirage and the place where Jesus is, is most where you want to be.

Moving from comfort to courage will…
Cause you to feel weak in the knees – a good indicator that you should stop standing up and get ON your knees..

Moving from comfort to courage will…
Cause others to question you… especially those that have found security to be a bedrock to build their lives on. You will be misunderstood, questioned, and perhaps even seen as foolish.

So today God I feel every one of these fears. I am terrified… straight up terrified. I am calling out to you to be a voice of truth and freedom. Tell me to settle down, to trust you and to release every one of these fears into your arms of faith. I know it is impossible to invite others into a life of obedience if I am unable to live it myself – so today I am re-upping my commitment to obey and be faithful.

I am doing this out of the spirit that lives within – my will wants to go get a job at a church and ask them to take care of all of this. But I know that is not YOUR will. Send your angels to tend to me as I feel the temptation to trust myself today – with obedience I am choosing to trust you.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 3rd, 2009 at 6:22 pm and is filed under Soul, Transformation and tagged with Comfort, courage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Jim

i don't like moving at all…it takes God to move me…

Aug 03, 2009 @ 10:54 pm

loswhit

um. nasty. that was nasty.
like in a good way nasty.

Aug 03, 2009 @ 11:07 pm

Kurt and Katie Duggleby

So inspiring! I agree with the part about following Jesus always having an element of “leaving” attached to it. Even if you physically remain in the same place, we must walk away from & abandon the normal way of doing things and live how Jesus did, not just model what we see happening around us…

Aug 03, 2009 @ 7:38 pm

Jennifer Ruggles

So true, finding my self struggling to move from comfort to courage lately. This is helpful, Thank you for sharing!

Aug 03, 2009 @ 11:43 pm

Allen

Dude, that's totally me. Fear's been pounding at my door ever since I was accepted to join the Young Life staff in Manhattan. For the past few months I've had the fear of leaving home for good, the fear of not being able to raise my support, I've been questioning God's calling on my life, and have had countless people (including my family) question this decision to move to the city.

God's been doing a work in me over the past few days, and I just wanted to write and say thanks for reminding me that our God is faithful and that He has called us to courage and not to comfort. Today, I'm laying my fears at the feet of the God who's called me into His Story.

Aug 03, 2009 @ 11:44 pm

Jarrett Stevens

that makes two of us, especially with this move.
We just built our dream home.
Just found our place in the city.
Just made some deep relationships.

I think we need to talk to God about his timing…

Aug 04, 2009 @ 1:10 am

Thanks Carlos.

"Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good." – Run DMC

Aug 04, 2009 @ 1:11 am

thanks for checking it / us out.

Allen,
That is a HUGE transition and a HUGE act of faith!
We have hige respect for anyone who raises thier own support and anyone willing to move into the city, especially a city like Manhattan.

Your faith, courage, and dependence is inspiring.
Excited to hear what's next.

Aug 04, 2009 @ 1:14 am

Thanks guys.
We're really looking forward to our time of connecting with you and filling in the gaps of this last chapter and looking forward to whatever God has next for you guys.

Aug 04, 2009 @ 1:16 am

mrsbear

my favorite one: Moving from comfort to courage will…
cause you to be jealous of your neighbors who seem to be perfectly content with their lives – you will wonder if you are some sort of crazy person that has a unhealthy propensity to live on the edge. // big indicator of my insecurities and desire for worldly approval. sigh.

Aug 04, 2009 @ 1:45 am

Annie Ingram

jeanne! thanks for this post! it really encouraged me. i'm just a week away from moving to San Jose, CA to serve full time at a church. I've had great clarity and confidence in God's leading, but it's that gap between knowing and doing where our hearts are tested… are we to lean on ourselves or heavily on Him? I'm choosing the latter… but it's a struggle. Down deep, it's these times we all long for… to see God actually show up… not just sedate our feelings of fear, insecurity and uncertainty with "stuff" that momentarily bring "happiness" and relief. Obedience is awesome- it reveals our true love affair with God- "Those who love Me obey Me"- Jesus. And i want my love life with God to be HOT! yikes!

Aug 04, 2009 @ 2:16 am

You and us both.
Nothing makes you feel more crazy than looking around at all the seemingly normal people around you doing just fine and feeling no need to mees things up.

Aug 04, 2009 @ 2:18 am

lil bucktown

moving from comfort is so unAmerican:: isn't that what 'they' say it's all about…the right degree for the right job for a good salary for a comfortable home and a comfortable salary and comfortable vacations and comfortable retirement and comfortable Jesus on the side when you're not busy. it is so easy and tempting to buy into and most times i sway that way. this is such a great reminder that the kog (kingdom of God) is not American, safe, or comfortable. it is against our instincts at times (ok a lot of times)… I want to live a life of courage, a life that is defined by dependence on Jesus and not my salary, or title, or gifts or positions. so glad we get to do it together.

Aug 04, 2009 @ 2:41 am

April D

brilliant, jeanne. love it. love it more that you shared it with the world. love it most that you're living it.

Aug 04, 2009 @ 3:43 am

Andrew Morgan

Absolutely needed words for me this morning… thanks for your honesty, keep writing we need your voice!

Aug 04, 2009 @ 11:51 am

Amy

Found this post from April D…for as long as I can remember, I've always operated out of fear and continue to struggle to live in freedom. Thanks for sharing this post.

Aug 04, 2009 @ 3:32 pm

Amber

phew. glad i'm not the only one on this rocky boat.

Aug 04, 2009 @ 4:04 pm

Jill

Reading this makes me realize how much I miss you guys and how much I've learned from you. Almost two years ago I moved to Southern Mexico to serve at an orphanage…a day doesn't go by when I long for some of the comforts of life in the US like a paycheck, a savings account, speaking English, eating American food, hanging out with friends, etc. However, as I've started thinking what life would be like if I returned to Chicago I think the really courageous part of this adventure is when I decide to move back and return to my own culture which feels more and more foreign to me. So, thanks for your words, your insight, and for being vulnerable enough to share your fears with us…it's good to know we are not alone!!

Aug 05, 2009 @ 4:57 pm

@kduggleby

I take it you got our email…?

Aug 06, 2009 @ 1:07 am

@LatashaMorrison

Powerful! Great Nugget all in my world!

Aug 07, 2009 @ 3:45 pm

Great thoughts.
So proud of you and your faith journey.
So excited to hear about your new adventure.

Aug 07, 2009 @ 6:43 pm

Wow Lil' ( ) couldn't agree more. This is SO well said.
Thank YOU for inpiring us.

Aug 07, 2009 @ 6:46 pm

Thanks April. We love you guys and love your support…all the way from the Orange Curtain.

Aug 07, 2009 @ 6:47 pm

Thanks Andrew.
Thanks for the props too.
Love partnering with you and Broken Voices.

Aug 07, 2009 @ 6:49 pm

Thanks Amy.
So glad you found us.

Nope.
There's a TON of us on this boat.
So gld to be on it with you.

Aug 07, 2009 @ 6:50 pm

Jill – So glad you found us here. We miss you a ton.
We can't wait to connect with you once you're back in Chicago.

Aug 07, 2009 @ 6:52 pm

Thanks Latasha.
We love having you in our lives.

Aug 07, 2009 @ 6:53 pm

Pat

Thank you so much. A very much-needed post for me as I question some things in my own life right now. Though you may be struggling with fear right now, know that God has directed you to write these words as an encouragement to so many. If you know nothing else, know that when you wrote this, you accomplished His will for you AT THAT MOMENT.

Aug 09, 2009 @ 12:50 am

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Aug 10, 2009 @ 11:09 am

deidra

Ann Voskamp sent me here today. Great post! My friend says that God is much more interested in our character than our comfort. That movement from comfort to courage is indeed a builder of character. We become more like Jesus once we let go, but only realize it in review. Thanks for reminding me that I must choose to put my trust in Him. He gives me that – that choice. It's mine for the taking!

Aug 10, 2009 @ 5:19 pm