Pressing In

At a conference this past summer (not one I attended, but one I read about) one of the speakers offered this as the benediction.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

I have heard and read lots of things over the last several months that deal with this same idea. I think the best way I heard it described was "holy discontent". Not that we're dissatisfied with what God has given us, but instead we're not satisfied to stay where we are in Him. God is looking for a people that are always pressing forward, closer to Him. I've been guilty of being complacent and calling it contentment. The truth is that I've spent time in direct contradiction to what that pastor prayed for...I've looked for the easy way out, lost sight of the heart of God for the people around me and decided that what I do doesn't concern anyone else.
God watches over us and cares for us, but we can't forget to keep moving forward. We say that this world is not ultimately our home, but we have to wake up each morning reminding ourselves that it's true and live it out. When we see each other, we should do the same thing. This week, let's ask God to let us see with His eyes and hear with His ears. Otherwise, we run the risk of betraying our most important mission - to love the people God sends us like He loves us.