A piece of wall art in our guest room says, “Great things never come from comfort zones.”

While I wish butterflies never swarmed in my stomach or my hands perspired or my whole body felt shaky or all the other unpleasant attempts my body makes to keep me paralyzed in my comfort zone, I can’t seem to control that. However, I do control something else vital within me – the amount of courage I possess. Instead of letting my freaked out body dictate my every move, I can consciously guide myself to choose courage and push through the discomfort. Again and again I have been extremely encouraged in hindsight with the priceless opportunities, relationships, accomplishments, and memories that come from simply having courage. Had I lacked fortitude at so many pivotal moments, I shutter to think how different my life would be. I am intangibly richer due to the strength of my courage, which helps me boldly step out of my comfort zone.

The more we exercise courage the stronger it grows. One reason David was ready to take on Goliath is because he had already faithfully exercised his courage in the presence of lions and bears (I Samuel 17:34-37).

Where do you need to muster up some courage and step outside your comfort zone?