Discomfort of obedience
Martha Olawale
“The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1
Moving from a place of familiarity to start over in a strange place is one of the most difficult things most people can do. I can speak to this because it mirrors my history. I don’t like change. I still remember the overwhelming feeling of leaving my church, family, friends, and food preferences behind and learning to adapt to new smells, tastes, people, and weather when we moved from my country, where I’d spent more than thirty years of my life.
When God called Abraham out of his country to journey to an unknown land in Genesis 12, He called him out of comfort, and Abraham responded in obedience. It was a journey of trust and faith in God, marked by a shift from comfort to an adventure with God. Although God told him His intentions, Abraham had no idea where he was going, yet he followed anyway. His obedience led him through twists and turns, along high roads and low paths, and his trust ultimately culminated in God making him the patriarch of our faith.
Our human nature naturally expects that obeying God and following where He leads should come with cushioned lounge chairs and waiters; it must be comfortable. After all, when Jesus has the wheel, we can just sleep. However, while God’s leading always brings peace, it does not always bring comfort. Jesus at the wheel doesn’t mean we don’t feel the churn in our core when we ride over the bumps on the road; it means we are safe through it. Walking with God can demand that we give up our ease to ride with Christ on a roller coaster. Jesus said in John 14:27, “My peace I give to you; my peace I leave with you.” He could have said, “You will not be uncomfortable,” but He didn’t. He promised peace.
This has been a rather peculiar year for me. I have relied heavily on Philippians 4:7, allowing the peace of God, which transcends understanding, to guide me along the paths of obedience. As I walk through discomfort, I am preparing for the next phase of my purpose. Over the years, I have embarked on adventures with God. I have continued to step out of my mental comfort as I learn that if it honors God, there is more beyond the wind I feel but can’t see. Ecclesiastes 11:5 says, “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”
The weight of obedience rests on our willingness to say yes to God, even amid the tug-of-war with our human emotions. When you believe God is calling you to do something, don’t ask, “Am I comfortable?” Instead, ask, “Do I have peace?” Peace reigns, even when comfort is absent. If we limit our obedience to our comfort level, we won’t allow God to grow us through discomfort. Trust thrives in obedience, especially when we relinquish control to Christ, even when it’s uncomfortable.
I am learning to embrace my discomfort, not as pain to be rid of, but as fuel for my passion to trust God and grow. Our discomfort need not be defined as inherently negative when we are sure it is not due to disobedience. We must understand that walking the path of obedience may push us beyond our comfort zone, shifting our sense of normal as we explore new emotional territories with Jesus. As we grow in trust, we are better prepared to meet the demands of the next phase of our assignment.
