Blessing of Discomfort

"I never thought I would see the light of day when I would take part in a sprint triathlon. I never passed a single NAPFA test from Pri 3 to JC. Physical fitness was something that I always uncomfortable to talk about. I felt lousy most of the time. God changed things for me in the army. He turned my discomfort and weakness into victory when I allowed Him free reign in my life and made a choice to grow through my discomfort." - Joshua Teo

Do you feel very self-conscious when you do something you are not strong in? Do you hate speaking to public? Someone you don’t like to talk to?

We all have areas of discomfort in our lives. More often than not, we are happy to leave them outside our routine as much as possible. Given a choice, we would rather not face them at all. Yet they are always there. In fact, God seems to be placing the same “trials” again and again in our paths. Have you always wondered why?

Personally I have discovered that when we choose to face our areas of discomfort, we begin to see God developing us internally. It is God's way of revealing to us an area of our lives that we need to die to in the flesh. Sometimes it's an emotional baggage to throw away, sometimes it's an area to be developed. Some of the best and greatest growth in my life came during my most discomforting times. It was during these times that I was "forced" to deal with issues that I would normally just accept as part of life. It was also during these times that I experienced some of the greatest victories in my life.

Why is this so? You realise many times that when you are in a situation of discomfort, you often have no choice but to rely on God since it is something that you are not naturally strong or comfortable in. This pushes you to come to the end of yourself and to depend TOTALLY on JESUS. It is in times like these that you learn best how to LET GO and LET GOD take over.

The converse is also very true. In fact, it is often in times of prolonged comfort and complacency that we begin to backslide as we begin to think that we can cope and do well on our own, ie. We do not need God anymore! Thus, the next time you are conscious of an area of discomfort… Thank God. It is His blessing for your GROWTH!


CSL