Stop Monkeying Around

Went to see the movie "Chimpanzee" yesterday with the family.  After the sticker shock of matinee prices and getting some pop and popcorn we settled in for the movie.  Thank goodness for a gift card.  Now I know why the Phoenix in Neola is such a community treasure!  But, I'm not here to rail on about the prices of movies.

Did you know that chimpanzee's eat other monkeys?  Did you know they fashion tools to crack nuts, eat ants, and get bugs out of logs and trees?  Did you know they pass this knowledge on to successive generations?  The chimps eating other monkeys surprised me for sure.  If you haven't heard about the premise if the movie a family of chimps is followed for a number of months and a surprising thing happens.  After a young chimp's mother is killed he is adopted by the alpha male of the family group.  Maybe this doesn't sound to surprising to you, but I guess it is HIGHLY unlikely to happen.  Most of the time the orphaned chimp would have died because the other females in the group have kids of their own to take care of.  In this case the alpha male stepped outside of his comfort zone, and defined role, to fulfill a need for the family group.  Because of his sacrifice, the the orphaned chimp began to thrive, as did the group.  It really is a good movie to see.

What got me thinking was the alpha male's willingness to step outside of his normal "role" to fulfill a need in the family group.  He risked a lot.  His attention given to the young chimp took away from his normal duties as the group's leader, and I imagine he risked some ridicule from the family for him taking on a female's role.  I don't know if chimps pick on each other, but I imagine there had to be some head scratching.  How often are we willing to step outside our little comfort zone to fulfill a need?  How often are we willing to risk some sideways glances in order to fulfill a role that maybe isn't the "norm" for us? 

There are many opportunities to help friends, neighbors, your church, family, and even people we dont' like so much that I think we miss because we are too afraid to step up and step outside the little comfort zone we've created.  We might be worried that we're unqualified, we might be worried we won't like it, but if you're like me the usual culprit is laziness.  I know I get comfortable with the normal routine and when an opportunity arises that might challenge me or cause me to step outside of the routine I've created my default response is "no."  If we only respond to opportunities we are "comfortable" with then we're going to miss a lot of chances to have God use us and do amazing things with us. 

Forget the qualified part...God is supremely qualified and able to shape/mold you to do the job.  We just need to get off our butts and say yes!  I try hard to keep my eyes open to opportunities for God to use me, and when I see one then I have to try even harder to overcome the default setting of "no."  I don't always succeed, but I'm getting better.  There are going to be numerous opportunities for you to get involved in our church life, in our community life, and I imagine in family and friend's lives, but you might be required to get off your butt and step outside your comfort zone a little.  The question is do you trust God enough to say yes?  Are you willing to let God use you and be an image of the Creator?  Our church is growing in exciting ways, but that growth can only be sustained with help from the church family.  Be ready for some challenges coming up, and please be willing to allow the Spirit to move in your heart and help out.