Sacred Discontent

For some reason, I have had this weird nudge from God to relentlessly read stories of missionary heroes to my children. I wasn't raised that way. I was raised to fear everything. Like most people, I used to be more than content to have that life where I went to college and bought a house in a safe part of town and raised my kids to be afraid of anything that was too different - anything that would have the potential to "lead them astray." I made a lot of my early parenting decisions, I'm sorry to say, based strictly on....fear. Fear of my kids getting hurt, fear of them picking up bad attitudes or habits, fear of what other parents might think. But at the same time, I had this weird notion that I needed to read stories to them about missionary heroes - people who constantly laid down their lives and faced peril and danger to follow God and to reach the world with His message of truth and love.

I found myself wondering why I was so driven to give these stories to my children. Was it because I really wanted to live a life like that? Well, deep down inside, I think the answer for me was... YES. Did I think that I could or actually ever would live a life like that? Um, no. Did I want my kids to live dangerous lives for the Lord? Well, definitely not! I wanted them to live safe lives for God. :)

But is that possible? Contemplate that one for a minute. Is it possible to live a "safe" life for God?
Sure, I guess. Is it the life we are meant to live? Um, sorry....but, no. I don't think so. When I say "safe" I am referring to my comfort zone. Doing and being all that God created for me to do and be without ever feeling uncomfortable or unsafe - without ever risking my reputation, my finances, my life...

When my daughter started choosing stories about martyrs for her recreational reading when she was nine years old, I have to admit, I was alarmed. Was God preparing my daughter to be a martyr? Certainly not. I pushed that thought away and figured it was a phase she was going through that she would get over. For some reason, I continued to read stories to her, and then to her brothers about brave missionaries. Why?? For years I didn't know, but now I do.

I truly believe that when God created me - and my children - for this time on earth, He specifically wired us to be bring His heart to this present lost world. I was not born at another time. I was born for this earth at this time. I was also created to yearn for a life that matters. Pause. Think about that - deep inside each of us is this desire to carry out our God-given purpose here on earth - to live a life that matters. True?

When we begin to ask that "Now what?" question (see previous post), we come to a place of new understanding. Again, Gary Haugen gives voice to this understanding:

"This, I believe, is the voice of divine restlessness. This is a voice of sacred discontent. This is the voice of a holy yearning for more. This is the moment in which we can see that all the work that God has been doing in our lives and in the life of the church is not an end in itself; rather, the work he has been doing in us is a powerful means to a grander purpose beyond ourselves... This is the critical transition - when we who have been rescued by Christ come to understand that our rescue has not been simply for ourselves but for an even more exalted purpose. Indeed our own rescue is God's plan for rescuing the world that he loves."

My friend, the Church is God's answer - YOU are God's answer to a world waiting for justice. You have been set free for a purpose. You have been blessed for a purpose. You were born for such a time as this!

What is holding you back from making this transition - from rescued to rescuer? Ask yourself, "Why was I put on this earth at this time? Do you feel the tug of this divine restlessness to make your life matter? What is stopping you from living that brave, heroic laid-down life of a modern day hero?? It could be lots of things. Don't you think it's worth getting to the bottom of this question? I do, so I'm going to keep on.......