NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Having Heart In A Sometimes Heartless World Day 46 - Tony's Big Adventure Scripture focus: . . .The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 NIV In yesterday's devotional, Tony had an experience that Kim Engelmann may call "a gracious intrusion." In the midst of extremely reluctant suffering and a heaping portion of justifiable resentment - the Holy Spirit got into the mix and turned Tony's worldview topsy-turvy. I love how God works! (If you haven't already, return to yesterday's devotional and read Tony's email.) Notice several key points in Tony's story. I think his story beautifully illustrates much of what we've been wrestling with in this series: He was honest; he didn't want to suffer. He was a reluctant listener to a series that focused on suffering. His suffering resulted in a serious case of justifiable resentment - and he was honest about that too. Prior to his latest bout with suffering, Tony's family was already enduring the stress of suffering in other areas. (When it rains, it pours.) He was familiar with suffering, but not necessarily skilled at suffering productively. In response to earlier suffering, Tony's family had gone looking for a community to share in their misery - and chosen one. Even when the message series was messy and unpleasant (suffering) - Tony kept showing up anyway. When he wanted to disconnect and isolate from his small group - he went anyway. Tony did not allow his messy suffering to get in the way of community. When Tony headed out for his group meeting, he was not expecting anything good to come from the experience. But he went anyway. Once there, he did not minimize, spiritualize, rationalize, or deny his suffering. From this email, it doesn't sound like he made his group guess about why he wasn't perky. Tony was honest with himself AND others. I particularly like WHO he chose to unload his burden on (see Galatians 6:1-4). He could have headed to his nearest neighborhood bar ("where everybody knows your name and is always glad you came") or picked up his personal favorite hurt, habit or hang-up. Instead, he went to his group - where they were studying a book on? You got it - suffering! Did you notice that Tony didn't wait until he had a new job to send this email? Tony went to his group and left at the end of the evening - still unemployed (but no longer resentful)! What had changed for Tony? His frame of reference. He went in angry and defeated and left with a mission. What's his mission? Is it to find a job? Well of course he needs to find a job! But that's not his only mission. He has to look for a job with the attitude of a man who suffers productively. Remember - Tony had a bunch of opportunities to choose wisely, or poorly. There were some barriers that could have stood between him and this renewed hopeful way of viewing unemployment. More on that tomorrow. Recommended reading: Exodus 39 and 40 in the morning; Psalm 35 in the evening Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 TNIV Click "Comments" Below to Join the Discussion Scroll down to the Archive Section to View Previous Devotionals.