Wheels spinning. Frustration building. Doing lots of stuff, but feeling like you’re not moving. Ever felt that way before? I think it happens often in our time.
We live in a time that gives us unlimited options. We have the ability to listen to millions of sermons while on the go. We have the ability to read the Bible by simply putting headphones in and listening. At the same time, we have the ability to watch thousands of shows and movies. We have the ability to get unlimited television channels. On average, Americans watch 5 hours of live television per day.
Options Abound
Options. We have them. So why, then, do we feel like we’re in spiritual ruts and relational ruts? Why do we feel like our lives could have so much more meaning in them? Why do we feel like our faith is struggling to survive?
Why don’t we look at life like this:
All disciples of Jesus (not just a select few) are called to an ongoing, risky, actional, extravagant way of life—a life resonant with that distinctly wild—and yes, Christlike—faithfulness of their Lord and Master. This is the faith that is willing to leap into service of his unfurling reign in this world, believing that by so doing we are partnering with him in a cosmic project for the regeneration of all things, far and away more amazing than anything we could have conceived ourselves. —Frost and Hirsh 1
Before you can begin moving forward in your faith and your life, you must have something disrupt your routine. You must have something disrupt your thinking. You must have something disrupt you whole life.
1 Essential For Moving Forward in Your Faith and Your Life
Want to move forward in your faith? You need this one essential. What is it?
You need the gift of disorientation.
The gift of disorientation is something that rocks your thinking, your life, and your routine that causes you to re-orient your thinking, life, and routine.
It’s a gift because it causes you to question your assumptions about faith and life, and it drives you to investigate if your assumptions are true or not.
It’s quite uncomfortable to experience, but it is essential to moving forward in your faith and your life.
We have a tendency to coast toward apathy in all the things we do. The gift of disorientation causes us to get FIRED UP about something. It causes us to get EXCITED about something. It causes us to embrace a posture of humility because disorientation often shows us how wrong we have been about something.
How do you get the gift of disorientation?
Sometimes this happens randomly, but I believe you can set yourself up for having this happen more often. Here are a few ways to get the gift of disorientation:
1. Read the Bible carefully. God’s word is living and active. If you’ve been a Christ follower for some time and have read the Bible some, you’ll quickly find out how many assumptions you have on certain passages of Scripture. You’ll find that when you read those passages, you tend to read them quickly because you assume you understand what it is saying. Maybe you do. But maybe you don’t. I’ve had many instances where I’ve read a passage that I’ve read many times before and have found that I was understanding it in a wrong way.
Read the Bible carefully for long enough and you’ll find that God’s word will disorient you like nothing else. When this happens, re-orient your thinking and re-orient your life.[shareable]Read the Bible carefully for long enough and you’ll find that God’s word will disorient you like nothing else.[/shareable]
A strong foundation in the Bible is essential for evaluating the rest of these ways to experience disorientation.
2. Read good books. I am partial to non-fiction books, but I do thoroughly enjoy a fiction book every now and again. I read books because I want to be challenged. I want my thinking to be confronted. I want my understanding of life and faith to be confronted. The quote above is one that has done that for me. When you are reading good books, though, you must realize that not everything in a book (Christian or not) are going to align with Scripture. This is why a solid foundation in God’s word is essential. Go back to it and see if what the author is saying is true.
3. Ask great questions. I absolutely love grabbing lunch with someone and asking them questions. I love to be able to learn from other people because everyone has something to teach. Everyone has value to add to my life. Not everyone, though, is going to teach you something without being prompted. Asking great questions is a skill. So develop it.
When you ask great questions, you tap into the other person’s knowledge and experience.[shareable]When you ask great questions, you tap into the other person’s knowledge and experience.[/shareable]
What to Do When You Experience Disorientation
Evaluation is vital to being able to interpret the disorientation you are experiencing. Is this a good disorientation? Should I change something about my life’s purpose, about my mission here on earth, about my understanding of God’s work in and through my life?
If the disorientation causes you to move closer to God and the mission He has for you, embrace it.
Have you experienced disorientation? What was it? What did you do in response? I’d love to hear your experience in the comments below or on social media (Twitter | Facebook).
1 The Faith of Leap
