As followers of Christ, we can be sure of one thing: saying goodbye to our comfort zones is often necessary. God moves us from season to season, bringing us to a place where we release what no longer serves our spiritual growth and embrace what does. The routines that feel safe, the circles that make us feel seen, even the paths that seem widely accepted may need to take a backseat. When God begins to call us out of what’s comfortable, what’s predictable, or even what’s popular, our willingness to grow—to choose faith over familiarity—becomes the bridge to the next-level blessings and growth we’ve been praying to receive. It’s a defining moment in our spiritual journey.
What holds us back sometimes isn’t always a fear of failure—it’s comfort. Familiar routines, safe places, and the outcomes we expect and know. Even when we’re tired of where we are, the thought of leaving what we’ve always known can feel overwhelming. As children of God, we have to understand that transformation and change will always be a part of our sojourn here on earth. This is true in just about every area of our existence; relationships, careers, and especially our spiritual walk with the Lord. And we need to realize that spiritual growth rarely happens where it’s comfortable. More often, God calls us to stretch, take a step, and surrender—even when we don’t have all the answers.
Our personal preference is sometimes to remain in shallow waters, where it’s comfortable, but God doesn’t grow us in the shallow end. He often leads us into deeper waters—knowing that we will not drown as we hold to His unchanging hand. It’s there that He develops us. Think about Abraham. He was settled, successful, surrounded by family, but in Genesis 12:1 (NLT), God told him, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” There was no map. No details. Just a command and a promise. Abraham had to choose whether to stay with what he knew or trust God enough to move toward something greater.
The same is true for us. Sometimes God asks us to walk away from things that feel safe—jobs, relationships, habits, even mindsets—so He can lead us into greater depths of His purpose. When God calls us to go deeper, we should recognize that the amount of Word we already know has gotten us to this point, but it will not take us further. Greater revelation is required, and this means we need to do two things: 1-pray and study His Word more often, and 2-be more attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Growth comes with uncertainty and faith doesn’t guarantee comfort; it requires courage. It says, “God, I don’t know what’s next, but I trust You more than I trust what’s familiar.” This can be challenging for us because we like knowing, and we like controlling. But God doesn’t call us to comfort; He calls us to transformation. That means letting go of what no longer serves where He’s taking us. As He said in Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV), “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”
It’s hard to let go of what has been and what worked for us in the past, but sometimes the new thing that God is doing requires it. You may not feel ready, but that’s okay. We don’t have to have it all figured out, but we do have to trust the One who does. Growth stretches and humbles us, and when we choose faith over the familiar, we open ourselves up to be more of who God created us to be and to a new beginning we never imagined. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Choosing Faith Over the Familiar”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.