Distractions, Discouragement, Discontentment and…God? Each morning as I drive to work, I pass a sign that always give the same message. “Expect Delays”. As I glance at it, I usually feel a sudden discouragement in my spirit and begin asking myself why I even bother to look at that distraction. In fact, there have been many days where I would try to look the other way instead of at the sign, thinking that it may help, but it doesn’t. After driving this route for so long, one would expect that I would be used to the morning traffic, but the truth is I am not, and I often find myself in discontentment with the way people drive and city life. During this morning’s transit, I chose to listen to some music and try not to get distracted, discouraged, or discontented with the people around me. During this time of worship, I heard the voice of the Lord speak to me. He said: “I am trying to show you something if you are only willing to listen to me, to open your eyes and to see, and to obey.” I began to wonder about what He was showing me, when He gave me the title for this post. He then began to show me that there are many distractions that cause discouragement and discontentment in life, but we must try to see that God is always trying to show us something through them. I chose to use the incident with the sign as an opener, but as I continued to spend time talking with God this morning, He showed me more. Here one example that He showed me: The Distraction – Sin The Discouragement – Constant Failure The Discontentment – We want change. God – Is calling us out of sin, telling us to rise up from our failures, and allow His Spirit to change us. You see, no matter what the distraction, the discouragement, or the discontentment is that is trying to keep you back from the calling of God; He is always trying to speak to you and show you things that will take you where He wants you. I only showed one example, but there are many more. Do not get caught up with the distractions, the discouragements, or the discontentment, but all allow them to draw you closer to God. So today, I praise God for continually speaking to us through our sins, our failures, and our desperation for change. I praise Him for warning us, as He did with Cain in Genesis 4:6-7, that these things are always there waiting for us to open the door to it, but God loves us so much that He will, by His Spirit, let us know when we are about to do wrong. He loves us so much that He allowed His Son, who knew no sin, to endure wages of our sins, so that we could enter into His presence forever. I praise Him for the fact that He sees our discontentment and our desperation for change in life, and He will move and change things around for His glory so that His love can be seen through us to the world. Also...I know that most of you are interested in my praise report from Honduras...it is coming, but first I want to make sure that I capture everything that God wants me to share. ~ Jeremy D. Crouch ~ Good to Great in 2008 "Capture the vision...and run with it." |
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