VIEWPOINT MAGAZINE Volume 2.1 October 2013 | Page 19

Mind & Spirit

BEYOND THE

COMFORT ZONE

By Kezia Surjadi

I

n every person’s life there is a comfort zone, a
place of refuge where one only focuses on the
concerns of the immediate surroundings. Although
time and experience inevitably changes a person’s
comfort zone, passion ultimately determines it. If
someone possesses passion for anything, his comfort
zone will expand according to the object of his
passion. One good example is a professional
pianist. A professional pianist will practice hours per
day, sitting on an unergonomic chair, tirelessly
memorizing and playing notes. If passion does not
stretch the pianist’s comfort zone then the pianist will
not spend hours of physical and mental discomfort
over one instrument. The pianist’s passion for music
overshadows everything else in his life, controlling his
every thought and action. It’s the same with having a
passion for Jesus, to let Him take control of
everything in a person’s life, including his comfort
zone.
Once one surrenders his comfort zone to Christ,
one’s comfort zone will likely be expanded to a point
of human impracticality. In many situations, I find
myself expressing my passion for Jesus, which
stretches my comfort zone to a maximum.
Sometimes it feels rewarding, but other times it
depresses me. In place of immediate gratification, I
feel excessively self-conscious of myself. I spend
hours wondering if what I had done was actually right
or just something stupid. Much to my relief after
frequently conversing with other people who have

spent years in ministry, I learned that the feeling was
actually normal! People who are praised for being
bold for God’s name often get the same insecure
feeling when they finish doing amazing things for
Him. It’s the process of expanding the comfort zone
to