Holy Discontent

My dad has been preaching on Nehemiah. This past Sunday, he talked about the importance of our holy discontent being turned into action. Our holy discontent will fade away if we aren't willing to commit, sacrifice, and act. There were two points in particular, that really challenged me.

First, he talked about the next principle. Nehemiah 3:3-4 says, "The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired."

To be entirely honest, when I see a bunch of names, let alone names I can't pronounce, I tend to skip over those verses. I completely skipped over the next principle! I need to realize that God always has someone next to me on the wall. I have a place, but it's just one place. How encouraging and motivating to know that there are others next to me. I might not even see them, but I am not alone in going after my God-given holy discontent.

The second point that really grabbed me was a challenge to, "Do for one what you wish you could do for many." Do for one. I don't know about you, but that pretty much blows all of my excuses out of the water. It's so easy for me to say that I don't know where to start. That the need is too great for me to make a difference. But as this challenge may point out, how often do we miss our one because we are too overwhelmed by the many?

I'm not sure what your holy discontent is. I challenge you to figure it out, and ask God to move you into action. One thing I am passionate about is seeing every child at Agape Orphanage in Myanmar sponsored. While I'm not sure your one thing, would you prayerfully consider standing next to me in mine? It only takes a couple of clicks to sponsor one of these precious children- http://www.calvaryglobalkids.org/

I don't want to miss my one. I want to listen to God's call to invest deeply in my one, and trust that together with those next to me, we'll impact the many.

Trust

I have been stressing myself out over a couple of work related things coming up tomorrow and Monday. I know what you may be thinking- Sarah? Stress? No way! But unfortunately, it's true. In fact, so true, that I have slowly started allowing it to impact my relationships. I'm more irritable (yes, it's possible), and it seems like my empathy is lower than my father's (sorry, love you Dad).

I know this is not how the Lord intended my heart to be! When I take a closer look, I realize it is a direct reflection of the lack of time I spend with Him. I can't love like the Lord if I am not allowing his hand, his love, to shape my heart daily. And I haven't been allowing him. I have been looking to other things to de-stress me (For those of you who were unaware, yes, it is possible for Hulu to ask you if you'd like to take a break from watching.).

Recently, however, my mom gave me some devotional CDs to listen to in the car. Then Klove quoted an old devotional book that I haven't picked up in a while. So tonight, instead of reading the work material I brought home, I opened up the devotional to today's date.

And wouldn't you know it, it's all about finding peace in God! Sarah Young writes daily letters as if they are to us from God. In it she writes, "You know this day will bring difficulties, and you are trying to think your way through those trials." It is ridiculous how often I try to think my way through trials ahead of time. As if that is the only way I can overcome them. As if that gives me the edge!

But ultimately, thinking of what is ahead causes me to forget that God is with me now.

Sarah Young also says, "Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times, whereas you are meant to go through them only when they actually occur." This might be obvious to some of you, but reading it that way was so overwhelming for me. I am choosing to live my trials more than once. What? Seriously, how ridiculous.

That is not the life God intends for me; for anyone. He wants us to relax in his peace. He wants to transform our fear into trust. Because that's really what it comes down to, isn't it? Trust. If we trust in his plan, the trial isn't something to fear. But if we are rooting for our own plan, fear can take hold of us. So I'm choosing to trust. And to pray that God will change my plans for my life to mirror his.