Uncomfortable

Several months ago I saw a magnet in an Orlando souvenir shop. It read: Comfort the disturbed. Disturb the comfortable.

I loved it. I even believe it's part of my personal mission. [This isn't the first time I've talked about it.] A couple of years ago, I prayed a prayer very close to this magnet mantra and I've been uncomfortable ever since. [It was a dangerous prayer.] But, I think being uncomfortable is a very good place to be.

When I am uncomfortable...

• I'm intentional; not casual.
• I'm confident in God; not me.
• I'm hungry to learn; not content where I am.
• I'm making decisions on purpose; not by accident.
• Life's a little bit harder; not a little bit easier.
• My faith is a little bit bigger; not a little bit smaller.
• I think a little more about others; not a little more about me.

Last week at MinistryCOM, I was in an uncomfortable place. Caught between responsibility and fear... between confidence and insecurity...between humility and pride...between anonymity and recognition. Delivering a general session to a few hundred people is outside of my comfort zone. And, so was the overwhelming encouragement I received from people on my team and people I didn't even know.

This morning, I read a post all about discomfort. Ooooh. It's good. Confession time: I usually blow through the guest posts over at Swerve; barely even qualifying as a browse. Today, Scott Rodgers stopped my speed surfing right in its wake. And, he's talked about discomfort before.

I like uncomfortable people. They help me grow. I don't like comfortable people. They have the tendency to be annoying. Go ahead. You can quote me.

Comments

[Milan Ford]

Hey Kem -

Love the magnet quote. Thx.
You and your team continue to be an inspiration for me. God bless!

[Rindy]

Status quo is so easy. Comfortable is so easy. But no one ever moves when they are comfortable...

[Daniel D]

You just made my brain hurt. Thank you.

[D Rho]

"I'm confident in God; not me."

This is what stuck on me about being uncomfortable.

Whether it's uncontrollable circumstances like death or disease or natural disasters, or whether it's decisions to step into uncomfortable situations on purpose like scaling back your spending and giving more, or a new discovering a new level of intimacy with your spouse, or planting a church from scratch.

If our life will ever be about God, and not ourselves, it must be lived beyond the boundaries of "I can do that."

Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Esther, Ruth, Isaiah, Hoseah, Mary, Peter, Paul... we stand on some pretty extraordinary shoulders who all said, "I can only do that WITH God."

[danielle]

kem, i've nominated you for a blogging award over on my blog. i hope you can pass it on!!

[Dan Weiss]

Kem, I was at MinistryCOM and was blown away by almost everything I heard. You reminded me that this job isn't about me, but about me serving others. That's pretty uncomfortable sometimes, but I know I need to be in that position. I'm fairly new to the church communication world and that's also something that makes me uncomfortable. Thanks for the encouragement and the charge to "check my ego."
By the way, I'm the graphics/communication guy at Nappanee Missionary Church. Thanks for doing what you do!

[Pam Parish]

I agree! It humbles me to think of the times that I've gotten too comfortable and forgotten to wait on God. Thanks for the encouragement Kem!

[Joylene]

these thoughts are so powerful and so true. I keep hoping to arrive to a place of comfortable but I am realizing that it might not happen and that might just be a good thing.

[Kem Meyer]

You know, Evan... I can't answer where the line is in your interactions directly with others. But, I can say that being in a good "uncomfortable" place personally for me usually means I have to "get assertive in my own face" first... not worrying about what others will say about me breaking protocol and predictability. I can't force my personal convictions on others, but I can be prepared to respond about my rationale if anyone asks. Relationship and proximity are good ingredients for productive discussions. Beyond that...we can only do the next right thing and keep seeking God's will for our lives... canceling out distractions like Bose headphones.

[Chad Jarnagin]

Good post.

Hope Franklin was good to you all while you were here.

C

[Michael Buckingham]

I'm torn now Kem...do I want that magnet, or those sick flip-flops?

What a great reminder...may we never get to that point when we think we can do it on our own. Comfort in being uncomfortable...

Awesome.

Great seeing you at ministryCOM, as I knew you would you kicked it at the closing session. Truly inspirational.

Hopefully I'll see you again in Indiana, if I can rearrange a few things.

[Carey]

As soon as I saw the sticker title, I thought "Wait, I think that's a song lyric."

It's not an exact quote, but check out Todd Agnew's song "My Jesus".
It has the line
"He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?"

Lyrics here-http://www.christianrocklyrics.com/toddagnew/myjesus.php

I think it might be another song too. I'll keep looking.

And for more music that makes CCM look really rather lame, check out Derek Webb.

[Sam Daugherty]

I heard you speak at MinistryCOM (I had a mustache) and thought you did well.

I gave a sermon last night on being uncomfortable and then read this today. I wish I had known about that sticker beforehand because it would have helped.

I think a lot of people, especially Christians, tend to be overly passive in an attempt to keep themselves comfortable. I really feel like God has called me to get under peoples skin in a sense - to make them uncomfortable. I hold in high regard people with the same outlook as myself. Thank you for being so bold.

[Barry]

Complacency and, ultimately, ineffectuality seem to follow when we actually get receive a measure of the personal security we think we want in life.

It would follow that one of the best ways for Satan to nullify a believer's growth in faith is to just give him the worldly things that he thinks he needs in order to "live the good life."

Better to live on the edge, where we know we need the Lord to survive, and where we know we'll find Him.

[anne jackson]

god has been moving my husband and me into extreme places of uncomfortableness (i dont think that's a word). it has been a wild and crazy ride...and the decisions we are making now are absolutely stupid (in a good way). i can't wait to see what's next, but...wow....i am feeling a little awkward.

on a side note, i think you did fabulous in your session and as a girl who is just starting to do speaking herself, that is really encouraging. :)

[Evan McBroom]

I have been struggling lately with this "comfortable" business. I typically have dealt with conflict as the peacemaker - but of late, I've felt the need to be more assertive or in-your-face in moving others toward change. How do we balance passionate discomfort with Fruit of the Spirit stuff?

[Abby]

I think that a willingness to be uncomfortable requires bravery and courage. These are two things that most people in "churchland" need to have more of in their daily ministry (self included). Thanks for your post....it's inspirational.