The Importance of Being Disturbed

 

Do you have a situation that isn’t comfortable or a job where you’re not appreciated?

Thank God.

A friend was in assisted living.

Forced to live there, he had to room with a man who was resentful and hated everything my friend was.

Every time I called him, I heard about how awful my friend’s life was, partially because he had such a terrible roommate.

Finally, I had to tell him:

“You know, you have trouble relating with quite a few people. If you were alone in that room, sans terrible roommate, who would make you uncomfortable enough to seek God?”

Discomfort can be a powerful tool in the School of Christ.

Have you heard of the School of Christ? Everyone is enrolled in it, whether they know it or not.

Believers have to grow up spiritually, to become mature sons who are increasingly responsive to our Heavenly Father’s voice.

But even non-believers are being dealt with, challenged, drawn to the Lord, whether they know it or not.

That’s because God is not a religion. He is the Author and Meaning of life.

A Russian atheist was walking through a subway station one grey afternoon when he saw a sign that changed his life.

“Life without God makes no sense”.

It really doesn’t.

Do you think discomfort is a strange tool?

You might say: “hey, buddy, I’m not sure if you realize this but…don’t you know that God’s Spirit is even called the Comforter”?

Sure. But we tend to chase earthly comfort.

Earthly comfort is not always a good thing. As a matter of fact, if we prize our earthly comfort–a good nap, a cushy occupation, our favorite show–instead of sensitivity to God’s leading–earthly comfort becomes more than a stumbling block.

It can be flat-out demonic.

I’ve been getting comfortable lately. I learned the ropes at the place I work, I know all the moves, the people there seem to like me; life is good, you know?

But I have to get stretched. I have to go to a place where I’m uncomfortable enough to pray to God for something different.

Suppose it’s no big surprise God had to change things up on me.

Suddenly I’m in a new situation, having to face things I thought I figured out already, in a whole new season of life.

Suddenly, I’m up until 4am stressing, hardly able to function, and reacting to people around me childishly.

Is that a good thing?

Well…no, it’s not good to react childishly nor lose the peace of God in the moment.

But I know God is putting me in a new situation so He can show me how much further I have yet to go.

“You think you want My will in your life?” God asks. “Do you believe you are all grown up spiritually? You still have carnal roots deep in you that I need to redeem from you. Let Me show you.”

Like Jesus before the crucifixion telling Peter:

“You think you want to be with Me? Really? Before the cock crows, you’ll deny Me three times.”

Was it good on that dark day that Peter saw his cheap, fickle humanity when the Messiah was getting publicly butchered?

Well, I’ll put it this way. If Peter hadn’t seen that about himself, the Apostle Peter might’ve never had a cry that could reach Heaven.

He might never have had the hunger to cause the Holy Spirit to fall upon him in the upper room.

Only when we can face the truth about ourselves will it cause us to pray for a new heart. Only then can we change.

How can we see the truth about ourselves, clearly enough to change, when everything is so comfortable?

Do you think God loves you exactly the way you are?

God’s Spirit is constantly a Force for change. Constantly a Force for growth. Constantly a Force for increase.

He desires that we grow ever more like Him.

1 Peter 4:12: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you…”

Or, in another part of the Bible: : “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion…” (Amos 6:1)

Woe. You know, like:

“WHOA”.

Are you well-thought of, praised, respected, everything going great, life never been better?

Whoa there, pardner.

I would be concerned.

Good chance you’re missing the kingdom of God.

People have expressed hatred and dislike for me. I’ve been working in close quarters with people who have rejected me.

Someone who was fairly close to me told me to my face: “I don’t like anything about you.”

Thank God.

I grew a lot more in those situations than if I hung out with nicer people in easier working conditions.

God used those people to draw my impurities out. To spotlight those things in me which did not bring glory or honor to God’s Name. To change me.

Faced with anger, I had to choose anger or forgiveness.

Faced with insecurity, I had to choose to look at my lack or God’s provision.

Faced with rejection, I had to choose inferiority or belief in who God had made me to be.

These situations were only “toxic” if I chose for them to be. In reality, they were very anointed for what God wanted to do in my life.

That’s because as I was up close and personal with those decisions every day, I gradually could learn to choose differently.

I’m not saying l have to purposefully track down the local jerk and stick close to him.

But God led me there. He had led me there to show me something.

What if I had run away from those situations?

I wouldn’t have had to choose. I wouldn’t had to face anything.

That’s why earthly comfort can be demonic. It can lead me to the easy decisions to make in life.

God says:

“...wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction…narrow is the gate and difficult the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it”. (Matthew 7:13-14)

I’ll put it a different way.

In the movie, Evan Almighty, “God”(who looks a lot like Morgan Freeman) says: “let me ask you something.”

“If someone asks for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If they prayed for courage, does God give them courage or the opportunity to be courageous?”

“God” continues:

“If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does He give opportunities to love each other?”

These are not walls in your way.

These are doors to the Kingdom of Heaven.

We just need to learn how to operate our spiritual eyeballs.