Why Leaving the Familiar is the Hardest Part of Following God

Egypt was home. It may have been hot, dusty, busy, and oppressive, but it was home. For 400 years the Israelites had lived and died there. It’s easy to read the story of the Israelites and criticize them for their hesitancy to leave Egypt. They were slaves, after all. Why would they want to stay?

Easy.

It was familiar, and in the familiarity is comfort—even a sense of safety. Our brains are wired to seek safety and predictability. That’s why even toxic patterns can feel safer than the unknown. This is why the Israelites said, “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:12). They weren’t crazy—they were human.

“Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” — Exodus 14:12

We all have these same areas in our hearts and even in our circumstances. They may not be ideal, but they’re ours. We know what to expect and how to live in them.

• We know the way we communicate with our kids or spouse isn’t healthy, but it’s the way we’ve always done it.

• We know our eating habits are hurting us, but to change would mean entering unknown territory.

• We know addiction is destructive, but wonder, “Who am I without it?”

Why Familiarity Pulls So Strongly

All the Israelites knew at the beginning of Exodus was slavery. They were born into it, they died in it. Twenty generations of nothing but oppression, abuse, and torment at the hands of Egypt and her Pharaohs. Slavery wasn’t just their circumstance—it had become their identity. It was in their thinking, their way of life, probably even in their dreams.

To take the Israelites out of Egypt was doing more than changing their circumstances. It was changing their identity, their lifestyle, their way of thinking.

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey… whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” — Romans 6:16

And here’s the truth: bondage convinces us that we’re slaves; freedom requires us to learn how to be sons and daughters. That’s why it feels so risky.

God had to remove His people from familiar bondage and lead them into the “scary unknown.” Multiple times, the Israelites wanted to turn back because they would rather live in bondage than suffer for promise.

“As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.” — Proverbs 26:11

And honestly? We are no different.

Every day we face choices:

• Keep the sharp tone.

• Eat another dessert.

• Resent our spouse.

• Belittle our coworker.

• Stay in fear responses, isolation, or protective pride.

These may feel safer than change, but they keep us stuck in Egypt.

My Own Egypt

There was a time I was living pretty fully in Egypt. I didn’t know more was available to me. I didn’t know how to get out of patterns in my marriage, parenting, or finances. In some areas, I didn’t even know there was more available!

That was until we encountered the Holy Spirit and began a journey that we are still on today: learning to recognize and come out of the bondage God never intended. Learning about concepts like inner healing and deliverance, receiving good Bible-based teaching, and walking in discipleship moved us from stuck to strong.

And here’s the hope: God never calls us out of the familiar just to make us uncomfortable. He calls us out to set us free. On the other side of letting go is peace, joy, and intimacy with Him beyond anything we imagined possible.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” — Isaiah 43:18–19

Activation: Stepping Out of the Familiar

Here’s how you can begin the process of exiting your Egypt:

1. Identify Your Comfort Zone.
   Ask: “Lord, what am I holding onto because it feels safe, even though it’s keeping me from freedom?” Write down what He shows you.

2. Name the Cost.
   Reflect: “If I stay here, what will it cost me long term?” Familiarity often feels safe, but it robs us of growth.

3. Receive God’s Invitation.
   Ask: “What new thing are You inviting me into?” Pay attention to His gentle nudge—it may be risk, trust, or obedience.

4. Take One Step.
   Choose one practical action this week that aligns with God’s invitation. (Have a hard conversation, let go of a habit, or say yes to a new opportunity.)

5. Pray for Courage.
   “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
   Pray: “Lord, give me courage to step out of what is familiar and trust You with the unknown.”

This is the second post in my upcoming series From Egypt to the Promised Land—A Journey into Freedom, Healing, and Victorious Living.