Staying in the Room When God’s Word Pushes Back

This just happened to me yesterday in church.

One of those moments where a verse landed a little sideways. Not wrong. Just… inconvenient. It pressed right up against what I thought was reasonable, what I felt was fair, what my instincts were telling me to protect.

My first reaction wasn’t holy, ha. It was quiet resistance. I think I actually crossed my arms without realizing it. That subtle body language that says, I’m listening, but also, I have notes. Part of me wanted to explain myself to God, like maybe He hadn’t considered all the details I was carrying into that pew. The context. The history. The reasons. And maybe you know that feeling too.

What helped me, eventually, was remembering that God’s Word isn’t trying to win an argument with me. It’s not incomplete, or rushed, or missing context. It’s effective. Even when it unsettles me. Scripture doesn’t need my agreement to do its work. It just needs my willingness to stay in the room with it.

That part was harder than I expected yesterday. Staying. Not mentally checking out. Not softening it or explaining it away. Just letting it sit there with me. I stayed. A little stiff. A little uncomfortable. But still present.

Remembering that God’s Word is complete helps me loosen my grip, at least a little. My instincts are shaped by fear sometimes. By past experiences. By whatever feels safest in the short term. His Word is shaped by eternity. By love that sees further than I can. That doesn’t mean it always feels gentle at first. Sometimes it feels like a mirror I didn’t ask for and wasn’t quite ready to look into.

And then there’s the word divine. I had to sit with that one for a bit. Because this part matters more than I think I usually give it credit for. Divine means it carries power beyond my understanding. Power to soften me when I’m bracing. Power to correct me without shaming me. Power to keep working on my heart even while my mind is still arguing its case.

Yesterday, I didn’t walk out of church with everything resolved. I didn’t suddenly agree with everything or feel perfectly aligned. But I did walk out a little more aware. A little more open. And I think that’s the invitation.

Not to immediately agree. Not to obey perfectly on the first pass. But to remember who is speaking. To trust that when Scripture pushes back on me, it isn’t trying to take something good away. It’s trying to lead me toward something truer.

I’m still thinking about it. Still letting it work.