How Do You Know When God Wants You to Walk Away From Something That Feels Perfect?
- renaibreisinger
- Apr 6
- 4 min read
Learning to step away from something that feels perfect, but isn't part of God's plan.
When What Feels Perfect Isn’t Right
I never thought I would willingly walk away from something that felt so right. Maybe you’ve felt the same way—staying in a job, relationship, or season that seems perfect on the surface, but something inside whispers that it isn’t right.
For me, it was my career. I had finally found a role that felt like the answer to what my soul had been searching for.
I worked as a paraprofessional with children who had multiple disabilities—some medically fragile. My days were filled with teaching life skills, helping them navigate simple tasks, and just being present. It wasn’t just a job to me. I loved those kids deeply, and they loved me back.
It was a small classroom—6 to 8 students—so the relationships were real. I knew their personalities, their struggles, their progress. I built connections with their parents too.
Structure.
Stability.
A rhythm that felt safe.
On paper—and in my heart—it felt perfect.
The Heart Knows What the Mind Ignores
But there was a part of my life that wasn’t perfect.
I was lonely.
Not just wishing-for-more-friends lonely—but the quiet kind that follows you, even when you’re surrounded by people.
My relationship with God wasn’t strong. I believed in Him at times, but I didn’t fully understand Him. I didn’t grasp who Jesus was or what He had done for me.
My heart was looking for something I didn’t even realize I was missing. And when the wrong kind of attention came into my life, I didn’t stand firm—I fell right into it.
What started small became a pattern. A pattern I knew didn’t align with who I wanted to be. That’s when everything shifted.
A Hard Choice: Stay or Walk Away
I had to make a decision I didn’t want to make:
Stay in the environment that felt perfect…or walk away to protect my relationship with God.
There was no comfortable version where I could do both. I tried. There was no peace in that season.
I had a choice: stay with what felt “perfect,” or leave to be faithful.
So I left.
And I didn’t feel immediate peace. I felt loss.
I thought I had lost the “perfect” career. My income, routine, comfort. Daily life with the kids I loved. Relationships I’d built with families and staff. And if I’m being honest, I didn’t just grieve the job—I grieved the version of my life I thought I was finally stepping into.
I kept thinking:
“What if that was it for me?”
“What if I lost the only thing I was truly meant to do?”
Finding God in the Loss
I walked away in 2022. It’s now 2026, and for years, I carried the weight of that decision, wondering if I had made the wrong choice.
During that time, I read the Bible in its entirety. Recently, I felt led to slow down and truly study parts I hadn’t fully understood before.
That’s when Matthew 6:19-34 hit differently:
"Do not store for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I had read this before and thought it was just about money. But it’s about anything we build our life around.
My career search had slowly become more than a job. It became my identity, my security, my sense of purpose, my comfort—it became my treasure. And when something becomes your treasure, your heart attaches to it, whether you realize it or not.
When Something Feels Perfect but Isn’t Right
When that environment began pulling me into sin, I faced a hard truth:
Something can feel perfect… and still not be right for you.
Jesus goes on to say: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
That verse became very real to me.
Take a moment:
What have you been holding onto that feels perfect, but might not be right for your heart?
Where is your treasure today—is it God, or something else?
What I Gained From Letting Go
I may have lost what I thought was the “perfect” career, but I gained far more than I expected:
Clarity – I can see what was pulling my heart in the wrong direction.
Conviction – not just knowing right from wrong, but actually choosing it, even when it costs me.
Deeper understanding of Jesus – not just believing, but truly beginning to grasp what He did for me.
Awareness of weaknesses – especially how loneliness can influence my decisions.
The ability to set boundaries – not just in the moment, but before I get there.
A stronger foundation – one that isn’t built on a job, a feeling, or attention from others.
Realignment of my heart – learning to put God first.
Courage to walk away – even when it looks perfect on the outside.
Lessons for Your Heart
Here’s what I’m still learning:
Not every loss is a setback. Some losses are protection.
Pay attention to what your heart attaches to. If it can be taken, it may not be where God wants it.
Loneliness isn’t just a feeling to ignore—it can quietly lead you into places you never intended.
You don’t need everything figured out to take the next right step. Obedience sometimes looks like walking away before you understand what’s next.
Jesus ends Matthew 6:33 with: “Seek first the kingdom of God...and all these things will be added to you.”
I used to think this meant I’d get back everything I lost. Now I see it differently: it’s about gaining what actually lasts.
A New Perspective
I’m still in a rebuilding season.
Still figuring things out.
Still healing.
Still learning how to anchor my life in something deeper than a job, a feeling, or a moment.
But I can say with confidence:
Joy isn’t found in the “perfect”
It's found in being aligned with God—even when it costs you something.
If you feel like you’ve lost something important, maybe this isn’t the end of your story.
Maybe it’s the beginning of building something that actually lasts.
Take a moment today:
What feels “perfect” in your life but pulls your heart away from God?
What is God inviting you to release so you can align your heart with Him?
Walking away is never easy,
but sometimes...
it’s the path to something far greater than you could imagine.
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