Growing Through Spiritual Unease

As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.

The familiar Sunday ritual began as it always did. Hymn books opened to page 423, coffee brewing in the fellowship hall, and families settling into their usual pews. Yet something stirred within me—a restlessness I couldn't name. Was this spiritual boredom? Doubt? Or perhaps something else entirely?

Many Christians experience seasons when our faith feels uncomfortable—when prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling, when worship feels mechanical, or when cherished beliefs suddenly demand examination. We encounter what might best be described as "sacred discomfort"—those unsettling moments when God seems to be stretching us beyond our spiritual comfort zones.

Sacred discomfort isn't a sign of spiritual failure. Rather, it often signals an invitation to growth.

When Faith Gets Uncomfortable

Janet, a lifelong member of her Grand Rapids congregation, described her experience: "I'd been attending church for 40 years when suddenly, nothing made sense anymore. The prayers felt stale. The sermons seemed disconnected from real life. I wondered if I was losing my faith."

What Janet experienced wasn't spiritual decline but spiritual growing pains. Sacred discomfort often emerges when our faith is maturing beyond simplified formulas into something more nuanced and resilient.

In Canada and the United States, many churchgoers report similar experiences. A 2021 Barna study found that 65% of regular churchgoers have experienced periods of significant spiritual doubt or questioning. Yet these seasons, while challenging, frequently preceded deeper spiritual connection.

Scripture offers numerous examples of faithful believers experiencing spiritual discomfort. Abraham questioned God's plan regarding Sodom and Gomorrah. Job wrestled with profound theological questions amid suffering. Even Jesus cried out, "My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46).

Types of Sacred Discomfort

Sacred discomfort comes in various forms:

Intellectual discomfort challenges our theological understanding. Perhaps new information or life experiences prompt questions about long-held beliefs. A Reformed theology professor shared, "Students often panic when they first encounter difficult biblical passages or theological concepts that don't fit neatly into their existing framework. But this cognitive dissonance usually precedes deeper understanding."

Moral discomfort emerges when our growing awareness of injustice conflicts with complacency. Many North American Christians describe feeling unsettled when recognizing systemic inequities or environmental concerns that previous generations of believers might have overlooked.

Liturgical discomfort occurs when familiar worship practices no longer resonate. "I loved our church's traditional service my entire life," explained Carlos, a church elder from Hamilton, Ont. "Then suddenly, at 52, I found myself craving something different—more silence, more contemplation. It felt like betraying my heritage, but God was moving me toward practices that would nurture my next season of growth."

Relational discomfort happens when we outgrow spiritual environments that once nurtured us. This doesn't necessarily mean changing churches, but it might involve seeking additional spiritual community or mentorship.

The Danger of Avoiding Discomfort

Our natural response to discomfort is avoidance. We might double down on familiar practices, even when they no longer nurture growth; distract ourselves with busyness, including church activities; distance ourselves from faith communities altogether; or deny the legitimacy of our questions

Each response preserves comfort but potentially stifles growth. "Many of us were taught that doubt is dangerous," explained Pastor Michelle from Edmonton. "But honest questioning, done in community and with humility, often leads to deeper faith, not away from it."

Growing Through Sacred Discomfort

How can we navigate seasons of sacred discomfort?

1. Acknowledge the discomfort without judgment.

Name your experience without immediately labeling it as spiritual failure. Sacred discomfort often precedes spiritual breakthrough.

2. Bring your questions to God directly.

The psalms provide a template for expressing confusion, anger, and doubt directly to God. "I've learned to pray not just from my certainty but from my questions," shared Thomas, a ministry leader from Chicago. “Some of my most meaningful prayer times begin with ‘God, I don't understand.’”

3. Seek wisdom in community

While some questions require personal wrestling, isolation rarely leads to resolution. Find trusted fellow travelers who can hold space for questions without rushing to easy answers.

4. Explore the Christian tradition

Reformed theology has a rich intellectual tradition that engages difficult questions. Historical Christian writings often reveal that our "new" questions have been thoughtfully addressed by believers across centuries.

5. Practice patience

Resolution rarely comes quickly. “I spent three years in what felt like spiritual wilderness,” admitted Elaine from Vancouver. “Looking back, I see how God was reshaping my faith into something more resilient. The discomfort was part of the process.”

The Gift of Discomfort

Sacred discomfort often signals that our faith is alive and growing. Just as physical growing pains signal a child's development, spiritual discomfort frequently indicates that our faith is expanding beyond previous limitations.

Jesus frequently invited followers into uncomfortable spaces—beyond cultural boundaries, beyond religious certainties, beyond self-protection. Following him still involves willingness to embrace discomfort.

The theologian Paul Tillich wrote that doubt isn't the opposite of faith but an element of it. Perhaps sacred discomfort serves a similar function—not undermining faith but deepening it.

Scripture reminds us that God's ways often upend our expectations: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Is. 55:8). When our spiritual journey feels uncomfortably unfamiliar, perhaps we're simply encountering the wild, transformative love of a God who refuses to be confined to our comfortable understandings.

Sacred discomfort isn't something to fear or avoid. Rather, it might be exactly what our souls need to grow into the full measure of faith that God desires for us—a faith robust enough to withstand life's challenges and capacious enough to embrace God's ongoing work in our world.