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Our high school youth group spent an evening handing out burritos and warm clothes to homeless people last year. That was way out of my comfort zone. In fact, I was so uncomfortable with the idea that I was hoping I might get sick so I could skip the event. But I didn’t get sick, so I headed out with my group of students on a mission. I decided to share with my group how uncomfortable this made me feel. They looked at me and said they were uncomfortable too—but they wanted to do this and needed me to lead them. A lot of wonderful conversations and learning happened that night.

Moses didn’t want to lead Israel, so he tried to make excuses to get out of the task God wanted him to do. But God promised to be with him and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Community can do that too. It carries us into uncomfortable experiences and walks alongside us, encouraging and challenging us along the way. And through the challenge and support, we grow.

Being part of a community that challenges you may not be high on your list. But being challenged is one of the only ways we grow. And growing is what God calls us to do.

Find a group of people that will challenge you and walk alongside you in living for God. For me, it was a group of students who wouldn’t let me avoid an uncomfortable situation. And the results were amazing.