In the Face of Frustration

Frustration in the face of the way things are makes us open to the big lie. Frustration and fear and anger can suspend our ability to ask difficult questions, to listen to thoughtful critics, to do our homework.— Seth Godin

In all of the churches I have either worked with or talked with, frustration in the way things are is the critical issue.  When churches are frustrated, they get stupid!  Most of them refuse to do the hard work of facing reality.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been told by leaders and search committees that “God is leading us”…when most often it is they have bought into a big lie of the enemy.  Too often, the cost and pain of doing an assessment/analysis of themselves BEFORE calling a perspective candidate is too high…they just “feel” they know where they are…and they buy the big lie.  When churches find themselves in trouble…out of their frustration, they buy the lie.

And it happens with leaders who play the “God Card” often.  I’ve seen leaders do this instead of asking the tough questions and hearing from others who would disagree with them.

And frustration doesn’t just shut us down in the Church. It is prevalent in our political climate today…for both political parties.  It’s reflected in the frustrated attitude of most people I talk to about being forced to choose the lesser of two evils.

I find it interesting that Jesus never minded someone asking tough questions for the right reasons (See Nicodemus in John 3).

I believe God leads us.

And in the NT we are given the Spirit so that we will lead through spiritual wisdom…let’s not be spiritual chumps by buying the big lie of the enemy.  Rather, let us listen to one another (often to those who disagree with us) and seek the wisdom from each other in His Body. After all, discernment is not an easy, quick fix process.   It requires deep reflection and talking to others who also may have insight on God’s plan for us.  It’s only through a careful discernment process that we can overcome the big lie and the enemy.  God does lead us and discernment is the key to understanding this.

Post contributed by Greg Wiens, HGC Chief Catalyst.