Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
A simple truth: the growth you want is usually hiding behind the fear you avoid.
I still remember watching a clip where Will Smith described his first time skydiving. He said it sounded fun in the moment—until later that night when the fear hit him. He thought about backing out multiple times, even up to the last second. But he pushed through… until he was 10,000 feet above the earth, strapped to another guy, and there was no turning back.
They jumped.
And within a second or two, he said the fear disappeared and was replaced by one of the most exhilarating and peaceful feelings he’d ever experienced.
Then he said something I’ve never forgotten:
“God has placed the best things in life on the other side of fear.”
When fear shows up, it’s often a sign you’re near growth
I’ve tried to live by that. A while back I got approached about doing some acting. I walked into a talent studio just planning to ask a few questions… and got swept into a whirlwind. I was handed a script, put in front of a camera, told to improvise, read from a teleprompter, signed with an agency, had photos taken—and then got sent out the door to a first audition that same afternoon.
I sat in my car thinking, what in the world just happened?
I hadn’t felt that uncomfortable in a long time. It would have been so easy to go home and return to what I was comfortable doing. But I remembered that line—God has placed the best things on the other side of fear—and I knew the fear was a signal to go.
I went to the audition.
It was terrible.
But I walked away with something more valuable than a role: I walked away less afraid than I was when I arrived. Over time I did more auditions—some awful, some decent—and eventually landed a few parts and shoots. But the biggest win was this: I wasn’t afraid of the camera anymore.
Overcoming a fear is a reward no one can take from you.
Courage becomes contagious
Not long after that, Brooklyn came to me when she was in 6th grade. She asked if she should do the school play. Her friends were doing it, but she was nervous about being on stage. She said, “Maybe I’ll just try for an ensemble role—there’s not as much attention on you.”
So I asked her a question: “If you weren’t afraid, what part would you want to go for?”
She admitted there were roles she really liked. And I told her the skydiving story. I told her that sometimes fear isn’t a stop sign—it’s a signal that growth is close. If that’s the part you’d go for without fear, maybe the fear is telling you exactly what you should do.
She auditioned.
Part of it required singing alone in front of a panel of teachers. She was terrified. Later she told me, “Dad… I don’t think they could even hear me. I was singing so quietly.”
But she did it.
And she got the part.
And even more than the part, she gained confidence and new friendships—one of the best experiences of her young life. And what she did didn’t just bless her; it blessed her little sister too. The next year, her sister had more courage because she’d watched Brooklyn push through fear first.
God often meets us outside comfort
There’s a reason I love the phrase “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” Because growth is never comfortable. Comfort can quietly become the enemy of progress.
God loves pushing us out of comfort zones—not to punish us, but to expand us.
Some of the greatest “God moments” in scripture happened in uncomfortable places:
Moses confronting Pharaoh
Israel with their backs against the sea
Abraham asked to sacrifice his son
David facing Goliath
Daniel in the lion’s den
Esther approaching the king
When we run away from being uncomfortable, we often run away from places where God is ready to show up.
A quote I love says:
“If you are on the right path it will always be uphill.” — President Henry B. Eyring
Practical reflection
You don’t have to like fear. You don’t have to feel ready. But you can take the next right step anyway.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress.
And sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is stop protecting your comfort and start building your courage.
Anchoring quote
“God has placed the best things in life on the other side of fear.”
Today’s Daily Challenge
Do one uncomfortable thing today on purpose:
Have the conversation you’ve been avoiding
Start the project you keep delaying
Speak up when you usually stay quiet
Take the step that scares you but you know you need
Then write one sentence: “I did it anyway.”
Closing gratitude + links
I’m grateful God doesn’t just comfort us—He strengthens us. And He often does that on the other side of fear.
joshdowns.com/daily-devotionals
joshdowns.com/come-follow-me-for-teens
