Recently I have found myself complaining too much about the state that I live in. This is not a political article, but because of some possible political laws that could happen, a weird tax on my shipping packages that is supposed to help our roads (don’t get me talking about
Highway 75), and some other inconveniences, it has come up in my mind the possibility of moving. Don’t worry, Living Rock members reading this, it is not a serious thought. It's more the frustration of inconveniences, disagreements and wishing to have things “my way” that this thought of moving creeps in.
Maybe you have had this thought, too, because of something happening at your job or community? You start to get uncomfortable, and our natural reaction is to find comfort again. But as a follower of Jesus, I don’t think this is the right response. I’m not saying that you just agree to everything difficult or wrong, but I do think we human beings (especially in the West) are still trying to find that perfect spot where everything is comfortable – another Eden on earth.
Unfortunately that does not exist. So what are we supposed to do? As the great band, The Clash, asked, “Should I stay or should I go now?”, I don’t think I have an answer that can apply to every situation, but I do think that as we have been journeying through the book of Ezekiel at Living Rock church, some things have come to mind on what to do when things seem out of your control and comfort zone.
If you are unfamiliar with who Ezekiel is and his situation, here is a quick summary. He was a young Jew who was taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 597 B.C. He was training to be a priest, but that all changed when he had to walk 800 miles as an immigrant and slave into Babylon. God then called him to be a prophet in a place he did not like, with people he did not like, and many other circumstances that were out of his control.
So what did he do? Did he try to escape and move out of there? Did he just go with the new Babylonian ways of life and give up? No, he obeyed God.
While he did not like the rules, regulations, and probably even the roads of Babylon, he did not sit down and wallow in his situation. He did not come up with a devious plan to try and overthrow the government. He didn’t even start a blog to discuss and whine about the cultural issues of his day.
He accepted the reality that he was in, grieved the loss of family, friends and city, and then trusted God with what he could do rather than complain about what was not changing in his life.
This is not passivity. It is actually action and possible rebellion to follow God in this culture where, despite dishonoring practices and rules, he stayed committed to God.
Did he ever ask God to get out of there? I’m sure he did. Did he ever want to move back to Jerusalem and have his comforts and safety again? You better believe it. But in the end his determination and resolve to be committed to God no matter where he was at became fruitful in a barren land.
His life, messages and legacy are still an inspiration to many today (myself included). He persevered, he endured, and he didn’t give up when things were tough because he knew he had purpose in God, not just in the comfort of this world.
So should you move out of that job? That city? That situation? I don’t know. I do know that the grass always looks greener on the other side, but our eyes can deceive us when we are uncomfortable.
What keeps us encouraged in the difficult seasons of life is not looking for the next comfort or Eden paradise, but remembering comfort and paradise that we have in Jesus, even in the discomfort.
