What is your comfort zone?  A comfort zone is an emotional state in which you operate with ease and there is a minimal amount of risk.  Comfort zones are highly individual so that what is anxiety producing for one person can be a welcome relief from boredom for someone else. 

Any activities within the boundaries of your comfort zone can be conducted with a relative degree of calmness and security so people naturally prefer to stay within their comfort zone.  I confess to you that I like my comfort zone.  There is a problem with comfort zones however, learning occurs outside of the comfort zone. 

As you move out of your comfort zone your level of anxiety increases and this creates an enhanced level of concentration and focus.  A certain amount of anxiety improves performance until an optimum level of arousal has been reached; however, after that point performance deteriorates significantly as higher levels of anxiety are experienced.  Alasdair White (2009) describes this as the Optimal Performance Zone.  This is a zone in which the performance of people can be enhanced and their skills can be optimized – this is what may be referred to as the learning zone.

As you move out of your comfort zone and into the learning zone you experience new adventures your comfort zone actually enlarges and you grow.  Jesus was constantly developing His followers and enlarging their comfort zones,

¹ Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. ² And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. ³ Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. ⁴ Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way . . . ¹⁷ The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” (Luke 10:1-4, 17)

When is the last time you started on a journey with nothing but dependence upon God?  The seventy returned with joy as they experienced God using them in ministry – their comfort zones were enlarged!  As a wise teacher, Jesus also realized their limitations.  In the upper room discourse Jesus challenged His disciples misconceptions and He provided much needed encouragement to assist them in their journey after He departed,

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  (John 16:12)

What does Jesus want to say to you?  Can you bear what He wants to say to you?  It starts with taking the first step – getting outside of your comfort zone and watching God work in your life.  F.B. Meyer said, “We never test the resources of God until we attempt the impossible.”   What is the next step that God is asking of you to enable you to enlarge your comfort zone?

White, Alasdair A. K.  2009.  From Comfort Zone to Performance Management. White & MacLean Publishing.