Leaving The Familiar

“I don’t want to stay in my comfort zone.” I said as I was walking with a loved one yesterday. When I heard myself say this statement, my flesh froze. I meant what I said but there was fear starting to bubble up from within.

Let’s admit it, we like our comfort zones.

I started reading about Abram this week. He knows some things about leaving the familiar.

Now the Lord said to Abram, “[a]Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.”Genesis 12:1-3

God was asking him to leave behind his father, his family, his inheritance, and everything that was familiar to him. He was calling him to leave it all, and follow Him where He was leading Him. God was promising him some great things, but none of these things could be seen or felt in that moment. Not to mention, his wife was barren so the idea of being a father of a great nation seemed impossible.

Abram had a choice to make. We have a choice to make. Share on X

“So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” Genesis 12:4

Abram chose to leave it all behind and follow where God was leading, even though he couldn’t see how it would all work out. He was trusting God to bring this promise to pass, with nothing else to go on except God’s Word.

We don’t see any conversation or questioning, but I wonder what Abram and Sarai’s conversation was like. I wonder what his family’s reactions were.

If I am going to be fully transparent here, I have to admit that I would have thoughts going through my head about what my family and other people would think. I would think about the money I was giving up, and I might be doubting a little bit about having a child at the ripe age of seventy-five.

I don’t like admitting these things because it sounds incredibly not Christian-like. We have gotten too comfortable putting on our Christian hats in front of each other, instead of being honest about our struggles.

That is a comfort zone sometimes.

Abram’s father and family were not following God. God wanted Abram to follow Him. He desired to fulfill His promises through Abram, but it meant Abram had to let go of some people and things in his life. It meant that Abram had to walk away from ALL that was familiar.

That is a really scary thing to do.

I have believed the lie that staying in the familiar is the easy and safe way to live. Share on X

The enemy wants us to believe this because then we won’t pack up and move where God wants us to live. He wants us stuck in those familiar places and patterns. He doesn’t want us to be blessed by God because he wants us to doubt God has our best in mind, just like he did with Adam and Eve in the garden.

Are there familiar places in your life that God is asking you to leave?

Are there familiar relationships in your life that God is asking you to let go?

Are there comfort zones in your life that God is asking you to get up from?

What is keeping you from taking those steps?

Take some time this week to seek God about those things. Ask those people in your life who will pray for you, to walk alongside you in these areas. God will strengthen you to follow Him where He wants you to go if you allow Him to.

Heavenly Father, we surrender every area, person, and place in my life. Give us the strength to let go of whatever and whoever you are asking us to let go. Help us to walk in obedience to you and to follow you wherever you are leading us today and every day. In Jesus Name. Amen!