Human beings are hardwired to chase comfort, especially in America
Everything about our modern world is designed to make life as seamless, frictionless, and convenient as possible.
- Hungry? DoorDash will be at your door in 20 minutes
- Bored? Get an infinite loop of entertainment from the device in your pocket (or on your wrist).
- Feeling awkward in a social setting? Instantly look down at your phone to escape the room.
- Not sure how to navigate a hard conversation? ChatGPT has got you covered.
Our environments are built to avoid even the slightest bit of discomfort or pushback.
Personalized algorithms are a clear testament to this.
But when you are standing on the edge of high school graduation, looking out at the massive landscape of adulthood, this temptation to prioritize comfort can become a trap.
Deep down, you know that big changes are coming.
You’re facing the pressure of moving away from home, managing your own life, meeting new people, and handling academic challenges you’ve never seen before.
If your standard playbook for life is to always choose the easiest, safest, and most comfortable path, you are going to feel completely stuck the second reality gets difficult.
And while Meta might come after me for saying this…the truth is, you cannot grow in an environment that never challenges you.
This is why we value encouraging students to become comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Maybe Discomfort Isn’t the Villain
When you hear the phrase “be comfortable with the uncomfortable,” it’s easy to assume it means you’re supposed to just suffer through bad situations or pretend that anxiety doesn’t exist.
Trust me, that isn’t our goal at all!
Instead, this value is a commitment to stepping out of your comfort zone and doing hard things in order to seek and nurture real growth.
True confidence isn’t born in a bubble of safety; it’s forged in the moments where you are stretched, challenged, and forced to rely on something bigger than yourself.
Think about how physical muscle is built.
If you go to the gym and lift weights that are incredibly light and cause zero strain, your muscles will never get stronger.
Fun mini science lesson here: Your body only builds new muscle when the current fibers are pushed past their normal limits, creating tiny amounts of friction and stress that force the body to adapt and rebuild.
Spiritual and emotional maturity work the exact same way.
If you only hang out with people who are exactly like you, if you only try things you are already amazing at, and if you never put yourself in a position where you might fail, your character will remain fragile.
True confidence isn’t born in a bubble of safety; it’s forged in the moments where you are stretched, challenged, and forced to rely on something bigger than yourself.
Please Don’t Try to White-Knuckle It
I want to make sure you hear me clearly though.
I am not saying we should push ourselves so past our limits that we break.
Jesus did not call us to a poverty gospel where we give up and sacrifice everything – including our emotional and physical health – to the point of destitution.
He also has not called us to go through the journey of growth alone.
When God said “it is not good for man to be alone” in Genesis 2:18, He was not simply talking about marriage. He was talking about the necessity for community regardless of marital status.
Please do not do it in a vacuum. Welcome others into your wrestlings.
The Character Hack Nobody Likes
When you embrace the friction of being uncomfortable, it completely changes how you interact with our other core values. They all lock together.
Think back to Kaizen, our commitment to continuous, daily improvement. You cannot practice Kaizen if you are terrified of looking messy or making a mistake.
The same goes for connecting belief to behavior. It is easy to say you believe in biblical community when everyone is getting along.
But it is deeply uncomfortable to…
- have a face-to-face conversation to resolve a conflict…
- to show up and serve when you are exhausted…
- or to extend forgiveness to someone who hurt you.
Even our attitude of gratitude value depends on your willingness to face discomfort. It takes zero effort to be grateful when everything is going perfectly.
But choosing to find God’s goodness in a situation that feels frustrating, confusing, or completely overwhelming? That requires a serious amount of internal grit.
God Isn’t Waiting for You to Have It All Together
This concept of finding strength through discomfort isn’t just a motivational speech; it is a foundational reality of the gospel.
The standard playbook tells you that you need to project total perfection, look like you have it all figured out, and never show any weakness.
But God’s economy operates on a completely different framework.
Consider the raw honesty of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. He was dealing with a severe personal struggle, and he begged God to take it away.
But God’s response completely rewrote Paul’s understanding of discomfort:“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Think about how counter-cultural that is.
Paul didn’t just tolerate difficulties; he leaned into them because he knew that his own comfort was actually a barrier to experiencing the real power of Christ.
When you are operating entirely within your own strength and comfort zone, you don’t actually need faith.
But when you step out into the uncomfortable zones of life, you create space for the Holy Spirit to move, shape, and strengthen you.
But when you step out into the uncomfortable zones of life, you create space for the Holy Spirit to move, shape, and strengthen you.
As Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Almost every single one of those “good works” will require you to leave the safety of the couch and step into territories that feel risky, unpredictable, and entirely out of your control.
Growth Doesn’t Happen on Autopilot
So, what does this look like when you are…
- waking up early for a group ministry project,
- navigating a difficult wilderness backpacking trail,
- or sharing a living space with people who have completely different personalities than yours?
It means intentionally identifying the spaces where you normally default to running away, and making the conscious choice to step forward instead and welcoming Jesus in to comfort you in those fears.
When you consistently practice doing hard things, your baseline for what you can handle completely shifts.
The situations that used to cause you to freeze suddenly become spaces where you can operate with peace and resilience.
You stop waiting for life to become easy, and you start becoming a person who can navigate whatever comes your way with an unshakeable confidence in Christ.
So Where Do You Go From Here?
If you are tired of living life on academic autopilot and weary of letting fear dictate your comfort zone, it’s time to step into a different rhythm.
The journey toward becoming a dedicated follower of Christ doesn’t happen overnight. It happens one day, one habit, and one intentional choice at a time.
Here are some questions to ponder…
- Where am I currently choosing comfort and convenience over the areas where God is clearly calling me to grow?
- What is one hard thing or awkward situation I have been actively avoiding because I’m afraid of failing or looking messy?
- How would my confidence and faith change if I stopped viewing anxiety or discomfort as a reason to run away?
Something to consider…
As we said above, don’t push yourself in a vacuum!
Invite others on your journey to practice discomfort.
The Body of Christ is a gift for ongoing support to help us build resilience and faithfulness (Ephesians 4:12).
If you’re not sure who could be part of your team, consider a gap year program for this pivotal season of your life. At OneLife we will give you intentionally crafted opportunities to practice discomfort in the safety of discipleship and supportive community!
We’d love to join you by making the growth of discomfort feel a little less daunting and a little more doable on the journey God’s laying out for you!
Values Series – #4: Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
Check out our past Values Series posts:
#2: Connecting Belief to Behavior
Check out our post coming next week in our Values Series – #5: Be All In!