Why God kicking you Out Of Your Comfort Zone Is Kindness
Ever wonder why God removes certain things from your life? Things that seemed good, maybe even godly to you? Things that made you comfortable, maybe even brought a sense of peace?
It’s because from God's perspective, they weren’t. Our Good Shepherd saw things that we, the sheep, didn’t. Or maybe I should say we CAN’T see.
One day, I was thinking about how incredibly cold a sheep must feel right after being shorn. It almost seems mean. They've been enveloped in a warm wool coat, and suddenly there's nothing.
I'm so glad God doesn't do things the way I think they should be done because my way would be very wrong. I do not have His perfect perspective.
WHAT THE GOOD SHEPHERD SEES THAT WE DON’T
If sheep aren't shorn, they run into major health problems that can lead to death. They overheat, waste and debris get trapped in the wool, and can lead to parasites. The increasingly heavy wool restricts their mobility and causes severe pain. They can get infested with maggots and develop some lethal skin infections. If the shepherd waits too long to shear the sheep, when he finally does the shearing, it can be so stressful that it creates heart problems.
But the issue that struck me the most was that it restricts their eyesight and their hearing, and not being able to see or hear their Shepherd’s commands/leading can kill them.
God is the Good Shepherd. He has to push you out of your comfort zone, otherwise you'll die in your own comfort. You won't be able to see Him, hear Him, or move toward Him. Your desire for comfort will give you the heart problem of not relying on Him and not recognizing how much He loves and cares for you. How ironic is it that what feels safe to us will kill us.
There's a way that seems right to man but its end is the way of death… (Proverbs 14:12)
THE DANGER OF COMFORT
The comfort zone is the kill zone. You are easy prey to the devil if you can’t move, hear, or see well.
Shearing can take many forms. A career move, relationship changes, a closed door that you were “sure” He wanted you to walk through. It hurts, it feels cold! But it’s the most loving thing the Shepherd can do — even if we don’t see it yet.
John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
Cutting is painful, but it isn’t punishment. It’s preparation. It’s protection.
God is too loving to let you carry what would kill you and prevent you from living out the purpose He has for you.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Have I been resisting a nudge from God to step into something unfamiliar or uncomfortable? Why?
Is there a “wool” I’ve been carrying for too long—like fear, pride, past hurt, or people-pleasing—that God may be trying to shear away?
In what ways have I seen God's kindness wrapped in what felt like loss, delay, or redirection?
If I believed God’s pruning was always for my good, how would that change my attitude in this season?
Friend, if it’s feeling a bit cold right now because you were just “shorn” of some comfort, look for how this is God’s kindness. 💙 He’s too loving to leave you with what would prevent you from seeing and hearing Him.
In passionate purpose,
Dorothy