“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” Proverbs 3:27

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:14-17

Life is busy.  We all have things to do, plans made, schedules to keep…maybe no plans at all, but we are content with our routines.  Most of us enjoy routine.  The unexpected brings anxiety and feelings of discomfort.  Most of us don’t want to be pulled out of our comfort zone.

One Wednesday evening, I dropped my son off at his Faith Formation class.  My plan was to go for a run while he was there.  I enjoy running and it was the perfect amount of time to get a decent workout in.  An hour was too quick to drive back home and it was barely enough time to run errands.  I popped into church quickly, and on my way out I ran into a friend.  She surprised me with a potential chance to get involved with an up-and-coming project for the church.  My initial thoughts were, ‘no, no, no…I already volunteer plenty at church and school.  I am too busy to get involved in one more thing.  I’m not qualified for this.  It’s out of my comfort zone!’  But, I continued to listen to her and said that I would think about it. Days went by.  I kept thinking in the back of my mind, “why me?”  I really don’t feel that I have any qualities that make me qualified to help with this project.  But, as I kept trying to find reasons not to help, I kept thinking back to past sermons where we were asked to step out of our comfort zone.  We were reminded that we all have qualities and traits that we can use to help in areas of need.

I find myself quite anxious and often get overwhelmed with new situations.  But after getting through each challenge, big or small, I come out feeling very fulfilled.  I constantly have to remind myself that if I can help just one person, all those anxieties and worries will be totally worth it! The book of Nehemiah is a great reminder of this.  It encourages us to be a person whom God can depend on to act for him in the world.   So now I am looking forward to another chance to be a person of action, stepping out of my comfort zone.   

Prayer:  Lord, there are so many people that need us.  There are so many ways in which we can make use of our time and talents.  Please help us overcome our fears and step out of our comfort zone to help those in need.   Help us be a person whom God can depend on to act for Him in the world.  Amen.