Standing in the Discomfort

I had a different blog in mind, but God kept placing this idea of dealing with discomfort on my heart. And as I reflect on the last year, it has been filled with numerous uncomfortable moments. But what I have learned is that, in the discomfort, you begin to see God in a whole new way. The love and dependency that you have for God sprouts in ways that you never knew you could reach. You realize that nothing around you is sure, but God’s presence and peace are what guard you against all schemes of the enemy that what you to doubt God’s goodness.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

Some seasons of life are just rough. In these seasons, it’s almost as if everything we believe is being tested. God strips us of everything that made us comfortable, and we find ourselves in the unfamiliar. New environment, new job, new people, or a new day-to-day routine. Sometimes we find ourselves in a newness that seems like a good thing, including newfound passions, new goals, or new relationships. At other times, the newness can be something that you were forced into. But either way, anything new takes some readjusting. And somewhere in the readjusting, we find the courage to stand in the discomfort and discover God’s purpose in it.

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known, I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

Lately, I feel like everything has been changing so quickly, I found myself thinking, “God, I wish you would give me a heads up, you’re moving so fast I’m trying to adjust.”  But then I realize, if God had shown me his plan up front, one of two things would have happened. I either would have tried my best to change his plan, or I would have skipped through all the rocky parts to get to the good stuff. But the hard things are the most important parts of the process. It is where we see God move the most. It is where we release control and surrender to God’s plan.

When we find ourselves away from what seems comfortable, we are forced to do what we normally wouldn’t do. For instance, if you go to a work event and you don’t know anyone, you are forced to talk with someone you wouldn’t normally talk to. And who knows where the conversation could lead. It could be a new friend, a new idea, or just a needed conversation. God does everything with intention and for the good of those who love him. (Psalm 16:4)

These seasons of unfamiliarity, uncertainty, and uncomfortableness are not God’s punishment, but they show his desire to stretch us. Being stretched is not easy. It pulls, presses, and exposes the places that we’ve been relying on our own strength. But God promises to anchor us in the pull, strengthen us in the press, and cover us in the places we feel exposed.  

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

In the uncomfortable, he grows our trust, and in the stretching, he expands our capacity. When we feel like everything around us is now out of our control, we are reminded that he goes before us and stands beside us in this place of newness.

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

Discomfort is a sign that God is preparing us for something greater. He has to prepare us by working certain things into us and also by working certain things out of us. As we get ready for the next place that He is taking us, we have to be refined. The exposure that we feel is God revealing our hearts and our need for Him.

As I’ve gone through this season of discomfort, I have learned to trust God more. It’s hard, but as I get towards the other side of certain situations, I continue to see God’s faithfulness. I don’t always have all the answers, and I don’t always understand exactly what God is doing, but He has truly given me peace beyond understanding. I’ve learned to see God in every season and a confidence that His goodness is forever.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:3-4

So if you find yourself standing in discomfort or what seems unfamiliar, lean into the moment. Pray for God to show you what He is doing in this season. Look for God in everything around you and trust that He is with you always, and He is the true King of Peace.

Don’t run from the hard places. Lean into them, trusting that God is already in the middle of it.

🤎