When You've Got a Situation
And you really want God to do something
Sometimes I’ve got a situation where I really, really, want God to go to work.
Those situations can push me to greater, more focused prayer. Maybe that’s your experience, too.
And that’s great…until it’s not.
Jesus picks an odd place for his ministry debut: Galilee.
Galilee was also referred to as “Galilee of the Gentiles” or “Galilee of the Nations.” It was a part of Israel that was dominated by Gentiles and the Jews were a minority.
If you wanted to change Israel, you started in Jerusalem. If you wanted to change the world, you started in Rome.
Jesus wants to redeem the world, so he starts in “Galilee of the Gentiles.”
All of that was unexpected, so some people missed Jesus.
Take a few minutes today and reflect or journal on these questions:
How do you think your own expectations of where Jesus should go to work shapes your ability to see him when he’s working somewhere else?
Is there anything that you’re bringing into today that you really want Jesus to go to work on? Write it down if so.
Whether you’ve got something above or not, try a prayer of holy ambivalence like this:
“Jesus, I ask that in your kindness you would go to work wherever you please. I give up my expectations and agenda to you. Just give me eyes to see where you’re at work.”After you pray that prayer, write down what it was like to pray it.
This is just one of the exercises in this month’s free Greenhouse Retreat, The Kingdom is Already Here. Click here for the rest of it.
Greenhouse Retreats: helping you to create conditions ideal for long-term fruitfulness and growth.
Happy flourishing y’all,
Alex