Saturday, November 10, 2007

Propelled By Our Discomforts


M. Scott Peck:
The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

I have pondered on this quote for several days now, probably because it hits home. I have been feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, and unfulfilled lately. It is as though I have been stuck in a rut. I feel as if I have been idle to long and that is not good. I am talking about feeling this way in my spirit.

We've all heard the saying, "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." When we become idle and don't do anything to get out of that state of mind that is when destruction will come to our soul. Here's what the bible has to say about idleness: "By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through." (KJV) If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks. (NIV) Ecclesiastes 10:18

Then the bible goes on to say: "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." Proverbs 19:15

"Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to." (1 Timothy 5:13)

One can be on the same level in God and not go any higher in Him only for so long before you become stale spiritually. If you stay there and don't do anything about it you become idle in your walk with Him. You won't grow any deeper or climb any higher in Him, you will become lax in your spirit. You will then become negligent, careless, sloppy, and laid back spiritually. You will then become comfortable in that state of mind. Then you will start to stagnate. Next you will begin to decline, fester, and rot within your spirit.

I do not want to shrug off this deep uncomfortable feeling that I feel in my spirit. For it is the hand of God trying to get my attention. Telling me to move on up a little closer to Him. Climb up higher. Grow closer to Him. Get a deeper walk with Him. Yesterday's walk isn't good enough. What He has for me now is even better than before. I must climb higher and higher each day. My walk must get deeper and deeper in Him each and every day.

It's just like swimming. I don't just get my feet wet, I jump in head first. That is the way it has to be with God. We must jump in head first. Let's get in to deep waters with the Lord. We must let Him surround us. I don't hang onto the side of the pool or stay where my feet touch the bottom of the pool when I go swimming. I like to get out to where I can swim. That is the way it has to be with God. I must get into deep waters with the Lord. I don't want a shallow walk with Him. I want a deep deep walk with the my God.

I thank God that He has stirred my heart one more time. But I ask that He doesn't just stir me but that He changes me as well. I don't ever want to become comfortable in my walk to the point that I find myself stagnating, festering, rotting, and declining spiritually. I want to be propelled by my discomfort so much that when I fall into a rut it will make me climb out of that rut and I will go in search of a deeper and closer walk in HIM. I will make sure that I am doing HIS will and not mine. I want to be open to HIS call and be willing to say yes Lord to whatever it is He ask of me to do. Maybe I have been holding back. But now I am letting it all go. I am yours Lord. I hold nothing back. I hold NOTHING back.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jolene, I love your blog! You have such thought provoking, soul-searching, stirring posts. Thank you for your transparency! You don't seem stagnant at all to me, but I know how you feel because I have felt that way too. I find that I feel the least stagnant when I am teaching someone a bible study or ministering in some way to someone. It seems that I grow during those times too because I read the Word more and pray more. I guess there's different seasons in our lives just like the natural seasons we have. But we sure don't want to remain stagnant too long. God bless you, dear sister. You are in my thoughts and prayers. You are so precious.

Love,
Karen

Jolene Harris said...

Karen, Thank you for your kind words. They really touched my heart. But I do feel so disturbed in my spirit right now. I just feel that there is something missing. After posting this blog. I went to service this morning and Pastor preached on this very subject not knowing of my post. I feel God is definitely dealing with me about something. I don't know exactly what it is He is wanting me to do but I am open for whatever it is. All I know is that I must move out of my comfort zone. Pastor's message was so powerful. It is still echoing in my ears and heart. I can not stay where I am at in the Lord. I must move up higher in Him. I got that confirmation in today's message that Pastor preached. Yes, God is speaking to me and I will listen and obey.

Just a thought said...

Jolene:
In my short life I have found that being able to wait on the Lord is nowhere as easy as it sounds.
The text in Isa. Say “They that wait upon the Lord.” Sometime back I hear an evangelist preach that to wait upon the Lord was to seek to serve Him, as a waiter would seek to serve you. Yes, I did spend some time within my own thoughts asking myself, “Where could I “wait” upon the Lord.”
You and yours are in our prayers.
Mervi.

Jolene Harris said...

Merv, Waiting is definitely one of the hardest things for me to do. I am one of those people that when I see something needs to be done I jump right in and do it now. I am not a procrastinator that's for sure. So you can see where this is a hard task for me to do. Yet wait I must!!!

I did, however, receive a beautiful touch from God last night. We had the most awesome service. Bro Bryce Allard was so sensitve to God that he led us in a beautiful worship service. It was the right songs of praise that he was led to sing by God. The power of God came down and I felt God tell me to take Sis Wilson by the hand and walk around the church and I hesitated at first and He asked me if I wanted that blessing I had been asking for and I said yes Lord and He said Walk with Sis Wilson so I did. I never felt God in a way like that before. As soon as I took her hand and took one step I felt his hand come down and bless me as never before. Merv. I could go on and on but I won't. All I am going to say is I moved up higher last night. I moved out of my comfort zone into newer heights in the Lord and I feel so much joy. I know that I will have to do battle against the devil but my God will be there to do the fighting for me. I have a work to do and I am ready and willing to do it. Whatever it is He ask of me I will do with the help of my Lord.

I want to thank you again for you prayers. You have been so kind and I do appreciate you and your wife so much. God bless you both.
love in Christ
jolene

Jana Allard said...

WOW! I just had time to read this post, and the only word I could say was "WOW!" You and Pastor Allard were definitely on the same page without knowing it. I just love it when God works in such ways. The service Sunday night was so great. I wish every time we were in the presence of the Lord, we would all worship Him in such a manner. It is so refreshing to the soul. I believe we are on the brink of revival.

Jolene Harris said...

Sis. Allard, we definitely were on the same page, no doubt about it. When pastor started preaching I just about fell out of the pew. I said ok Lord I hear you loud and clear I will move out of my comfort zone. If that message was for no one else it was for me. The bible says out of the mouth of two or three witnesses and God spoke to me through my blog and again through Pastor's message. Two witnesses. But then Sunday Evenings service WOW! Now that was powerful. You just had to be there to know what we are talking about.

Music Eloquence said...

Wow! You were right when you commented on my blog about the similarities in our posts and getting out of our comfort zones. I loved this post and especially reading your comments afterward. Isn't God just amazing? I love the way He works. God has been dealing with me about the same thing. I know there's so much inside of me (THAT HE PUT THERE) that I have to offer Him and I never want to grow stale or stagnant in anything I do.

I love reading your posts. They are so uplifting and soul searching all at once. Keep it up. God Bless you - Von de Leigh

Jolene Harris said...

Von de Leigh, I felt the same when I read your post. God is so amazing. Maybe is was just a nudge from Him in your post to me to say, "You are getting to comfortable again. Time to move up a little higher." I really believe that. He does work in mysterious ways.

God bless you and keep posting. You are doing a great work.
Jolene