Ali Elizabeth

“Listening When It's Hard”

Have you ever felt God nudging you toward something, and you immediately tried to talk yourself out of it? Of course you have. We all have. 

Maybe it was forgiving someone when you really didn’t want to. Maybe it was reaching out to a hurting friend, taking a new opportunity, or simply slowing down long enough to pray. Sometimes God speaks softly, through peace in our hearts. Other times it feels like He keeps putting the same thing in front of us over and over until we finally pay attention. 

And if we’re honest, sometimes listening to God can feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe even a little strange. The truth is, following God isn’t always going to look “normal.” Some people may not understand it. Some may think it’s weird to pray over decisions, trust God when life doesn’t make sense, or feel called to do something that doesn’t seem logical on paper. 

But honestly it isn’t normal. This world tells us to follow our feelings, chase comfort, protect ourselves, and do whatever makes us happy in the moment. God often calls us to something deeper. Sometimes He asks us to be patient when we want immediate answers. Sometimes He asks us to stay faithful when quitting would be easier. Sometimes He asks us to do something that would be extremely inconvenient, but obedience to God rarely looks convenient.

And hearing Him clearly? That can be hard too. There are seasons where life feels so loud that His voice gets drowned out by stress, fear, distractions, and opinions from everyone around us. There are also moments where we hear exactly what God is telling us to do but we simply do not want to do it. 

I think that’s something more people relate to than we admit. Because obedience can be scary. It can require change. It can require humility. It can require letting go of control, and if there’s one thing we as humans love, it’s control.

I know there have been times in my own life where I prayed for God to guide me, but secretly hoped His answer would match what I already wanted. And when it didn’t, suddenly I became real good at pretending I couldn’t hear Him anymore.

But one thing I’ve learned is this: God’s direction may not always be easy, but it is always good. Looking back, some of the hardest moments of obedience in my life became the moments that shaped me the most. The closed doors I fought against protected me. The uncomfortable steps of faith grew me. The moments where I finally surrendered instead of resisting brought a peace I couldn’t create on my own.

Sometimes obedience starts small. A simple prayer. An apology. Choosing kindness. Going to church when you’ve drifted away. Trusting Him one day at a time instead of demanding the whole plan. It won’t always make sense to everybody else. And sometimes it may not even make sense to you right away.

But maybe faith was never supposed to feel completely comfortable. Maybe part of following God is learning to trust His voice even when the path ahead looks unfamiliar.