Comfortable? I hope not.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about being comfortable in life. Starting law school and the "torture" that everyone seems to think it is will make a guy think about stuff like that. As I thought back over my life I realized two things:

1. I have lived a life of great comfort.
2. It was in the moments of discomfort that I was stretched and grew the most.

In high school athletics there was an entire season of the year, "0ff-season", set aside for discomfort. The running and weight lifting we did was never a comfortable thing as we constantly pushed our bodies to the limit. Yet, we improved our strength and endurance the most during this time. Training for the half and full marathons I've done was much the same way. During the longest most uncomfortable runs I found the greatest reward.

This idea doesn't just apply to physical activity though. Giving a speech in front of the entire student body at ACU wasn't comfortable for me, but I learned so much from it. Trying to maintain and then losing close relationships with others certainly wasn't comfortable but through those moments I learned things about myself and gained new perspectives on life that I'd never thought of before.

As I was thinking about all of this a question came into my mind, "How often do I ask for comfort and run from the uncomfortable in my walk with God?". If I grow the most during moments that stretch me in every other area of my life, why should I imagine that it would be any different in my walk with God? At Cross Training Reg Cox said, "Jesus is more interested in your eternal problems than your temporary ones here on earth". Jesus sees the whole picture, he knows the growth we will achieve through the moments of discomfort, if only we will have the courage to step out and follow him.

As I begin law school it is my prayer that I can keep this perspective and remember that nothing in life worth doing is easy, including following Jesus. I pray we all have the courage to embrace, and accept the challenges and moments of discomfort in our lives, trusting that we are being led by the only one who truly knows the way.