How to Obey God When Obedience Feels Uncomfortable and Uncertain
Can I tell you something that no one really talks about? It’s easy to talk about how to obey God when things are comfortable, but dealing with doubt. But what about those moments when following Him just gets awkward or hard? How many of you have felt that nudge, that whisper in your spirit, and your first reaction is just plain discomfort? (Hand raised here.) Welcome to the club, friend. In our recent podcast episode on "Perspectives Into Practice," we talked about how to obey God, even when it brings us out of our comfort zones. We went there, Finding hope after loss. And I’m inviting you into that conversation today.
Why Does Obedience to God Feel So Uncomfortable Sometimes?
Let’s be real for a second. Obeying God isn’t always comfortable. In fact, sometimes it feels downright impossible. I remember sitting in my living room, scrolling social media, sensing God nudging me to share something honest—something that honestly made me nervous, and you can find spiritual self-care tips to help you stay grounded. My heart pounded because, let’s face it, our world loves opinions. The moment you decide to step out and show your faith, there’s that little voice that warns, "What will people think?" Isn’t it wild how obeying God can stir up fear and insecurity more than anything else some days, especially when you’re dealing with doubt as a Christian?
You see, the pressure to fit in, to avoid criticism, to share just enough faith but not too much, can keep us silent. The pull to be accepted is real. But, here's what I’ve learned: how to obey God is not supposed to be about staying safe or comfortable. It’s about stepping out in faith, even if it makes us sweat just a little.
God Calls Us Beyond Our Comfort
I’ve seen it over and over—God rarely calls us to the easy places, and you can find biblical lessons on suffering to help apply this today. He’s after growth through challenges, trust, and real surrender. Like my friend Kelsey shared on the podcast, sometimes obedience comes with a wave of uncertainty, and you can find Finding God in Hard Times. You wonder if the message will be received with grace or with criticism, and you can learn to hear hearing God's voice daily in unexpected moments. You wonder if your act of obedience will matter to anyone at all. But we’re not called to be comfortable; deepening relationship with God. We’re called to be faithful.
How to Obey God Practically When It’s Hard
Let me lay this out plain. When you want to know how to obey God, especially when it’s uncomfortable, you need a few key things:
- Stay close to Him. I can’t stress this enough. The more time I spend in the Word (even just a quiet morning with Romans 8 in my lap), the clearer His voice becomes and the less those fears chase me down.
- Pray through the discomfort. Sometimes before I ever press “post” or speak up in a conversation, I’m quietly asking God for courage, mercy, and the right words.
- Remember your why. Every act of faith, every moment of obedience, starts with a reason. If I believe what I say about Jesus, then I have to step up—because someone might just need to hear it today.
- Expect discomfort, but look for fruit. Obeying God won’t always make you popular, but I’ve found that even if one person is helped, that’s worth it.
- Accept grace for imperfect action. Sometimes we think we have to get it all right, but obedience is often messy, awkward, and even clumsy. God rewards your willingness more than your polish.
Recognizing the Spirit’s Prompting
How do you know it’s God and not just your own fear? Here’s what helps me: If I feel a recurring nudge that doesn’t leave and lines up with God’s character and Scripture, that’s usually the Spirit. Flesh wants avoidance and comfort. The Spirit encourages love, truth, and stepping out for others—sometimes even when our heart races. If it’s about building up others and pointing to Christ, you’re on the right track.
Preparing Your Heart for Criticism and Rejection
Let’s get honest: how to obey God means learning how to handle criticism. People will misread your intentions sometimes. Hurt people can react with more negativity than you ever expected. At first, criticism stung me. I would feel my heart harden, and offense would try to plant itself in me. I had to learn to lay that at God’s feet. I started praying for the people who didn’t get me or disagreed. I realized that often, their struggle wasn’t with me—it was something deeper going on in them. That shift in perspective made all the difference.
And you know what? Some of the people who criticized me ended up becoming friends. God can use your loving, gracious response to open up new doors and soften hearts. Sometimes, your kindness is what makes Christ visible to those who least expect it.
Keep Sharing Even When It’s Scary
Our world is loud. People will always have opinions. But remember, if they’re still showing up in your space (even with tough words), something about your obedience is stirring their hearts. Don’t let fear shut you down. Keep showing up. Even if you only reach one person, your obedience matters to God. His math is not the world’s math.
How to Obey God in the Everyday
Here’s where I get practical. So many ask, “How do I bring God into my regular routine?” Here are a few ways I've put this into action (and maybe you can try too):
- I invite God into my morning workouts—praying with every step or rep and treating my body as His temple.
- I check my motives before I post online. Am I sharing for affirmation or out of obedience to God?
- I ask for courage before hard conversations, especially where someone may need truth spoken in love.
- I remind myself that my story—messy parts and all—are worth sharing if God can use them.
Obeying God isn’t limited to big, showy moments. It’s often a private, quiet yes before Him. And sometimes, how to obey God is just doing the next right thing—apologizing, forgiving, reaching out, encouraging someone, or taking care of your own soul so you can serve others well.
Obedience Isn’t About Perfection
If you only remember one thing, let it be this: God doesn’t expect you to get it all right. In the podcast, we talked about how many of us are convicted by what we ourselves post or say. God often teaches us the most through the things we’re anxious to share. It’s a humbling thing. That’s grace. Messy, beautiful grace. And it’s more than enough.
How to Obey God When You Fear What Others Think
Let me ask, has fear of criticism ever kept you silent? It’s so common, especially for those new to sharing their faith. But what if our fear keeps someone else from hearing the truth they desperately need? The picture that helps me when fear creeps in is imagining meeting someone in heaven and having them say, “I wish you would’ve told me.” That stops me every time.
Pushing through discomfort to share about Jesus isn’t just about us. Someone else’s hope might be hanging on our courage. We don’t always see the results, and God doesn’t require us to. He asks for our yes. He’ll take care of the rest. We just show up and do the loving, obedient thing—even when it’s inconvenient.
How Does the Bible Guide Us When We Struggle to Obey God?
I lean hard on Scripture when my feelings want to run away. Romans 8 is one of my anchors. There’s a verse that I hang onto: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 CSB). No matter what we’ve done, no matter our doubts or stumbles, nothing separates us from Him. If God’s love is that stubborn for us, we can trust Him with our little moments of obedience. He meets us in the risk. Always.
Giving Yourself (and Others) Grace in the Process
I wish I could say I always get this right. Honestly, there are days the enemy attacks my mind or makes me question my worth. But every time I return to how to obey God, He reminds me that He’s after my heart, not my performance. When you are struggling to show yourself grace, remember you are His beloved—right now, not when you’re “fixed.” Our obedience flows out of that love, not to earn it.
Let’s Walk This Out Together
I want to encourage you as you think about how to obey God today. Start with what you know He is asking, even if it’s small. Reach out to that friend, pray over your meal with intention, open up that Bible passage one more time, offer a kind word where there’s tension, or share a part of your story where you feel that nudge. Don’t wait to feel ready. Your willingness is often what He multiplies.
Our lives are a witness, not because we’re perfect, but because we are willing. Obedience is rarely flashy and almost never feels easy. But when we say yes, we become vessels for something bigger than us—something beautiful God is growing in our families, our churches, our little corners of the internet, and our world.
And if you want more encouragement, listen to the full "Perspectives Into Practice" episode, "Uncomfortable Obedience - Sharing Jesus Even When It’s Hard." Hear my heart, hear Kelsey's story, and remind yourself that you’re never walking this journey alone. Let’s keep showing up, one faithful step at a time. That’s how to obey God, even when you don’t feel ready.
