Growth rarely feels gentle at first. It stretches us, unsettles us, and asks something real of us. As Matthew Kelly writes, “Growth is often on the other side of discomfort. A muscle only grows through resistance. A seed has to be buried and split open before it becomes a tree. Gold is refined by fire… Growth often begins where comfort ends.”
In the spiritual life, this pattern is everywhere. Jesus doesn’t simply soothe us; he invites us into transformation. And transformation, by its nature, disrupts our preferred equilibrium. It asks us to see differently, love differently, surrender differently.
One of the most honest questions we can ask ourselves is: Which of Jesus’ teachings make me uncomfortable? Not because they are harsh, but because they are holy, because they stretch the parts of us that resist becoming more like him.
This week, choose one teaching that unsettles you a little. Sit with it. Pray with it. Let it work on you from the inside. Growth often begins exactly where comfort ends.
A few examples to help you notice:
- Love your enemies — What happens inside you when Jesus asks you to bless those who wound you?
- Forgive seventy times seven — Where does forgiveness feel impossible, and what might God be trying to free in you?
- Take up your cross daily — What small, persistent invitations to courage or sacrifice do you avoid?
- Do not worry about tomorrow — What part of your life clings to control instead of trust?
- Blessed are the meek — Where does gentleness feel like weakness, and what new strength might be hidden there?
Choose one. Stay with it for seven days. Let it unsettle you, soften you, and slowly reshape you and stretch towards Christ.
Smitten With Goodness 