Trusting God's Plan When Letting Go Feels Hard

How Walking Away Can Lead to Deeper Faith

I remember the moment vividly, a sting that still lingers in my heart. The room felt heavy, weighed down by the gravity of the conversation. I had just spoken the uncomfortable truth: people’s hearts were being mishandled spiritually, and the legal foundation of the church was crumbling under mismanagement and neglect. My words hung in the silence, hoping someone would care enough to take action.

Instead, the church leader leaned forward, his posture sharp and unapologetic, as if daring me to challenge him. With a dismissive shrug, he said, "What are you going to do? Sue me?"

It wasn’t only the dismissal of responsibility that stung—it was the disregard for the souls entrusted to him and the laws meant to protect the community. After five long years of praying and conversations, that moment was the tipping point. I knew I could no longer stay, not just in the church, but in the 18 years of commitment, connection, and care I had poured into it.

Walking away felt like stepping off a cliff, unsure where—or if—I would land.

When Letting Go Feels Like the Hardest Thing

There are times when everything familiar feels fragile, as if it’s teetering on the edge of collapse. For me, that moment came when I realized I could no longer serve in a broken system where people were being harmed. Walking away wasn’t easy, but it became necessary when I recognized that staying would mean being complicit in the harm.

Have you ever been in that place? Where the thing you thought you were called to, the community or position you invested in, suddenly no longer fits? It’s disorienting. The ground beneath your feet shifts, and the purpose you once clung to with certainty now feels anything but certain.

Letting go can feel like losing everything. Fear of what lies beyond can paralyze us, causing us to question if we’re making the right decision. But sometimes, God calls us to step away from the familiar. It’s in the surrender, where everything seems like it’s falling apart, that God often does His deepest work.

Trusting God’s Purpose in the Unknown

1 Corinthians 12:12 reminds us that the body of Christ is made up of many parts, each essential and interconnected. Walking away from a familiar community or role can feel like losing your place in that body, but I came to understand that my calling wasn’t tied to a specific position or title. It was rooted in something far deeper—my identity as a child of God.

Stepping away from the church left me feeling unmoored, but in that unsettling space, God revealed new paths and a purpose beyond the roles I once carried. It wasn’t about losing my purpose, but rather an invitation to trust God's leading, even when the way forward seemed unclear.

For more on how I wrestled with this idea of calling and purpose, I wrote a reflection titled Trusting God’s Purpose When Disappointment Calls. You can read the full article here.

Redefining Faith in the Process

Letting go wasn’t just about leaving a church; it was about surrendering my need for control over my life’s narrative. Often, we cling to roles and communities for a sense of stability and identity, but God calls us to trust in Him, not in the familiar structures we build around ourselves.

If you’re in a place where letting go feels like losing everything, remember that in these moments, God often works powerfully to redefine our faith and purpose.

• Faith Isn’t Tied to a Role or Place: When the familiar crumbles our identity in Christ remains unshaken. What we do is important, but it doesn’t define who we are in God’s eyes. We are his beloved, and that truth never changes, even when everything else does.

• Seasons of Questioning Can Lead to Deeper Faith: Spiritual disorientation can be unsettling, but it’s often where God meets us most intimately. In those quiet moments of doubt and uncertainty, we encounter God in new ways, allowing Him to reshape our understanding of faith, identity, and purpose.

• Letting Go Creates Space for Spiritual Renewal: When we loosen our grip on the familiar, we make room for God’s healing and His new direction for our lives. Walking away isn’t the end—it’s the start of a new chapter where God reorients our hearts toward deeper trust and fresh purpose.

Finding Strength in Your Calling

If you’ve experienced the disorienting effect of spiritual wounds, broken trust, or shattered expectations, know this: God is still at work in your story. He is not done with you. The pain you’ve walked through is not the end but a part of the journey that God is redeeming.

You are still called, still seen, and still loved.

Though the road ahead may look different than you imagined, it is paved with purpose. Trust that the God who called you is faithful. He will guide you through the uncertainty, the disappointment, and the change. Your calling is not tied to a single place or position but to the One who holds all things together, including your heart.

How has letting go of something familiar led to deeper trust in your faith journey? I’d love to hear your story. Share your thoughts in the comments or reply to this post.

Almost A Year Later

Nearly a year later, I look back on the moment I walked away with a mixture of pain and gratitude—grieving what was lost, but grateful for the deeper faith I’ve gained. Walking away wasn’t easy, but it led me to a deeper trust in God’s plan for my life. The journey has been challenging, but in the letting go, I found a renewed sense of purpose—not in what I could do, but in who I am in Christ.

Take heart, friend. Even in seasons of dislocation, God is leading you somewhere good.