What really gets under your skin? I mean the one thing that ticks you off so much you just want to scream. Is it when someone cuts you off in traffic? Rude waiters or waitresses? People who lie to you? What about social or religious issues? What grips your heart and won’t let go? Hunger? Homelessness? Adulterers? Batterers? Deadbeat dads? Unwed moms? Orphans?
God has placed in each of us the trait of discontent. Many of us, however, use that discontent inappropriately by letting off steam towards another person, often causing us to sin in the process. But when God placed that discontent in our DNA, his intention wasn’t for us to use it against others, but rather to use it to help others.
In the 2007 book by Bill Hybels, Holy Discontent – Fueling the Fire That igniters Personal Vision, Bill talks about finding that one thing that grips your heart, soul and mind to the point that you must do something about it. He calls it a “Popeye moment,” referring to the point in the old Popeye cartoons where the sailor man would get so frustrated that he says, “I’ve had all I can stands and I can’t stands no more.” OF course, each cartoon wnet on to Popeye’s defeat of the evil Bruto and always saved his dear girlfriend, Olive Oyl” from the hands of danger.
In the cartoon, it was Popeye that saved the day. In the real world, it’s you and me – the church – entrusted to save the day. But that won’t happen until we find that one thing that gets us to that Popeye moment.
SO HOW DO WE GET TO THE POPEYE MOMENT?
Point #1: Find your Holy Discontent
We all have things we dislike. I dislike spousal abuse. When I hear of a man hitting a woman, I feel like finding that man and throwing a few punches myself. Really. But clearly it isn’t my holy discontent or I’d be out there rescuing women and children instead of leading worship and my two extra bedrooms at my house wouldn’t be empty.
To find your Holy Discontent, pray. Ask Go to show it to you. Don’t get fooled into directing your attention towards something you merely dislike. A holy discontent goes deeper than that and it may not be obvious. Quite possibly it could require fervent prayer and petitioning of God.
But once God reveals it to you, it will keep you up at night trying to figure out a way to do something about it. It will become a passion of yours.
- For Moses – it was the misery of God’s people.
- For King David – it was Goliath trash-talking His God and his people.
- For Nehemiah, it was people mocking God.
- For Mother Theresa, it was seeing people in poverty (school teacher.)
- For Martin Luther King Jr, it was seeing injustice and unfairness and cruelty to an entire race of people.
- For Bill Hybels, it was churches who didn’t seem to care about the lost, so he started the “Seeker Sensitive Movement.”
MY HOLY DISCONTENT
For me, it’s people who won’t get out of their comfort zone and completely sellout for Christ. That’s why I’m so passionate about contemporary music and modern church services. Because we need to offer music and services that attract the lost, not pander to the saved.
I am discontent with complacency in churches and I’m doing things to change it. All Praise Ministries was formed with the understanding that we would make some people uncomfortable. To me, that’s a small price to pay. It’s not about us! It’s about the lost and bringing them to know Jesus. Period.
Point #2: Endure Your Holy Discontent (don’t give up.)
Once you find that one thing that you can’t stand any longer, you’ll need to expose your heart to it. You’ll need to open your mind to it. And that will most certainly lead to frustration and heart ache.
Someone once told me, “I want to disciple this person but they are too lost and caught up in their sin for me to help them.” Listen, IT IS GOING TO BE HARD! But don’t give up. Just remember that this is your calling, your passion and one of your purposes from God. And for that reason, you can’t quit. If you did, you’d never feel satisfied again.
Point #3: Feed Your Holy Discontent
Don’t Run From it. Stay Close to it! Feed that discontent. Most of us flee from frustration. But God gave you your holy discontent for you to run to, not run from. Immerse yourself into the fire God has placed in your heart and do something about it!
God wants you to become Popeye today. He wants you to find that thing that makes you say, “I’ve had all I can stands and I can’t stands no more.”
The most dangerous prayer you can ever pray is this: “God…. Use me!” But when God uses you, he won’t use you half way. Be prepared to go the distance, and you might just change the world.
Today’s the day you start a new journey. Today’s the day you can look back upon and say, “I took a stand against my discontent and did something about it.”
