Feeling Disconnected From God?

A friend of mine sent me an excerpt from Francis Chan's book Forgotten God as a reminder of two key factors that blind us to God's presence and activity in our lives: Comfort (a life that is too safe) and Volume (a life that is too noisy).

Being on Sabbatical I've been struck by the amount of noise (What Chan calls Volume) is now part of our culture and how hard it is to get away from messages, tweets, updates, constant demands, and distractions. Developing a healthy rhythm of work/rest that includes being still before God and turning off our devices is something we need to be very intentional about! And it often means being willing to accomplish a little less and forgo some comforts in order to live more simply.

I agree with Chan that we need some discomfort. In a culture where comfort and convenience are of ultimate value, we often avoid the medicine required to cure the disconnect we feel. Ironically, it is a family member's rebellious and prideful spirit that has drawn me closer to God over the last few months. It is in this trial, which is very uncomfortable for our family, that I am pursuing the Spirit in new ways. The death of a dear friend and legal trial for the one who took her life a few years later were also points of spiritual intimacy for me, not to mention a fire that evicted our church from its facility, and many other 'frustrations' and 'disappointments' in life and ministry over the past few years.

I'm convinced that a complete withdrawal from church responsibilities to focus on our families or to bury ourselves in our work so we can afford more luxuries and comforts, never moves anyone forward in his or her faith. Pursuing the call of God in our lives is never comfortable, it involves our families (which are messy) our church family (which is also very messy) and engaging in the world around us (which is in a real mess too!) and all involve sacrifice and setting ourselves aside. Yet with a few strategic 'pauses' for reflection and prayer as part of our routines and habits, it is precisely the tensions and messiness of pursuing our calling in these three sphere's of life that brings us to the end of our ourselves and wakes us up to the activity of God's Spirit.

What does your routine look like? Are there comforts you could live without in order to live more simply? Do you have regular pauses built into your routine?

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