Greetings,
Have you ever changed up your style in any way? Trick question, I know you have because no one dresses like they did when their mom dressed them. I know I don't rock striped shirts and jean overalls any more (but maybe I should?). In my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I rocked Nike basketball shoes 24/7. It was Hyperdunks, Vandals, or adidas Pro Models or nothing. Then I branched out - I got a pair of Vans Authentics (courageous right?). I remember walking into school that day and people constantly saying they liked that I got Vans. It was out of my comfort zone for shoes. But people liked it. So I rocked Vans more and added them into my sneaker rotation.
You're probably either laughing at how stupid that story is, completely confused about what I'm talking about, or about ready to hit that "x" up top and come back next time. Hold up for a second. Have you noticed that when you do something different, it can lead to a lot of good? You see, as Christians, we aren't called to stay the same. In fact, Jesus loves us so much He doesn't let us stay the same. He knows we can be so much better. He knows we haven't reached our potential. And how do we get better? We change things. We switch up our rotation. I look at basketball as a good example of this. I loved to shoot when I played. Whenever I went to a gym, I always worked on my shot. I tried to get more consistent. Do you think I became a better all-around shooter by shooting the same shot from the corner over and over again, day in and day out? No. I had to consistently switch drills, work at shooting off the dribble, coming off screens, set shots, free throws, etc. Same goes for ball handling. If I only worked at one cross over, what would happen when my defender figured that move out? Or what if I could only dribble with my right hand? I would be sitting on the bench. I had to have coaches push me out of my comfort zone.
Music is a great example of this, too. If an artist releases new music, but it sounds similar to the tracks they released earlier, it may not be as popular (*cough* Pitbull *cough*). But when an artist takes a leap and changes something sonically, it can make them even more popular, even give them their big break. Kendrick Lamar is a perfect example. He goes from a mixtape called "Section .80" which is a pretty old school rap record to "good kid, m.A.A.d city" which is a completely different sound, but still has that Kendrick style. Then he's featured on a "Radioactive" Remix with Imagine Dragons. And just today he puts out a new song bringing that OG sound back to hip hop. Changing things sonically may be out of the artist's comfort zone, but it can make or break a career.
God calls us to move out of our comfort zone. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths comfortable." Not quite. Okay how about, "And we know that in all things God works for the comfort of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Again, not right. Our paths being straight (Proverbs 3:5-6) means they will be uncomfortable. God working for our good (Romans 8:28) does not mean it'll be a walk in the park with an ice cream cone and warm weather (though it sounds fantastic). It means we won't be comfortable. Being in The Philippines in 90 degree weather with 80% humidity in a Filipino prison with no air-flow playing basketball wasn't the most comfortable thing I could think of. But man, that was one of the greatest things God has ever done in my life. The best things God does are rarely comfortable. But wow, God does incredible things when I step out of my comfort zone.
I want to challenge you to switch up your sneaker rotation, to step out of your comfort zone (I actually don't care if you change what shoes you wear, it's a metaphor). Watch what God does with you uncomfortable. Thanks for reading this. If any of this strikes a chord, let me know. Would love to hear from you.
Mahal,
Nathan
Twitter: @Nathan_A_Jones
Instagram: Nathan_A_Jones
sneakersandasavior@gmail.com
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