By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
“O God makes us uncomfortable with being comfortable.” How many of us would be willing to pray this prayer? It seems that the path most travelled is one that seeks comfort not discomfort. We find something that seems to work for us and we want to stay there. If something comes along that moves us out of our comfort zone, then we rail against it. I have heard people get disgusted with the process of prayer when they do not get what they want. “It must not work,” they say. Or worse “God has abandoned me, He does not seem to care that I am struggling.” All of us, at some point, wonder such things.
As I think about this, I think the problem is deeper. It is not a problem about whether or not God has abandoned us. The problem is that we have an agenda and if God is not interested in our agenda, since He has one of His own, then we get uncomfortable. This problem often manifests itself in the things that we go to God in prayer. We know what we want, or want to do, and so we ask God to bless our decisions. If He does not, then this cycle of self-pity, questioning and doubting ensues. Is there a better way?
God is sovereign. God is God and there is no other. God has called us to be His disciples, to follow Him and His agenda. Sometimes His agenda conflicts with ours. Since this is a blog, I will be bolder than that. If not always, nearly always, His agenda conflicts with ours. We might say a quick prayer about wanting to know what to do, but we already know what we want to do. While the results of this pursuit may not be devastating, it certainly is not God honoring.
The prayer of a disciple is a radical one. “Frustrate me in my efforts, O God, if I strike out alone, seeking only my agenda. Remind me O God that my life is best lived when I align it with You. When I get comfortable, making me uncomfortable so that I may seek Your will in all that I do.”
“O God makes us uncomfortable with being comfortable.” How many of us would be willing to pray this prayer? It seems that the path most travelled is one that seeks comfort not discomfort. We find something that seems to work for us and we want to stay there. If something comes along that moves us out of our comfort zone, then we rail against it. I have heard people get disgusted with the process of prayer when they do not get what they want. “It must not work,” they say. Or worse “God has abandoned me, He does not seem to care that I am struggling.” All of us, at some point, wonder such things.
As I think about this, I think the problem is deeper. It is not a problem about whether or not God has abandoned us. The problem is that we have an agenda and if God is not interested in our agenda, since He has one of His own, then we get uncomfortable. This problem often manifests itself in the things that we go to God in prayer. We know what we want, or want to do, and so we ask God to bless our decisions. If He does not, then this cycle of self-pity, questioning and doubting ensues. Is there a better way?
God is sovereign. God is God and there is no other. God has called us to be His disciples, to follow Him and His agenda. Sometimes His agenda conflicts with ours. Since this is a blog, I will be bolder than that. If not always, nearly always, His agenda conflicts with ours. We might say a quick prayer about wanting to know what to do, but we already know what we want to do. While the results of this pursuit may not be devastating, it certainly is not God honoring.
The prayer of a disciple is a radical one. “Frustrate me in my efforts, O God, if I strike out alone, seeking only my agenda. Remind me O God that my life is best lived when I align it with You. When I get comfortable, making me uncomfortable so that I may seek Your will in all that I do.”
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