Uncomfortable Growth

The last thing I want to do after not running for a few days: go for a run.

My legs felt slow and my feet felt like bricks. BUT, I kept running anyways, no matter how uncomfortable it felt in the moment. Something God has been teaching me lately is that I often let myself get too comfortable. Yesterday, I caught myself thinking, “I’ve done enough of what God asked me to, I’ll just stop now before I get too uncomfortable.” I think that thought process has been a motto for a lot of things in my life – consciously or not. 

How does this relate to running? Hear me out. I think my relationship with running directly parallels my relationship with God. If I’m not at least a little uncomfortable, I’m not growing. Not growing in strength, endurance, or ability. If I always take the flat roads and avoid the hills, I’ll never get stronger. If I always quit when my breathing gets a little too heavy, I’ll never run farther. And if I’m not obeying the things God asks me to do because they’re slightly uncomfortable? I’ll never grow any closer to Him.

Moral of the story: DO the uncomfortable thing. Take the harder path. God can’t grow us if we’re not willing to take a step away from comfort and into His presence.