Weekend Preview | Women Of The Bible: Part 4
By Matt Dawson
I’m currently reading an AWESOME book titled “Move Towards the Mess: The Ultimate Fix for a Boring Christian Life.” I’m only 1/2 way through and will be done by Sunday. I HIGHLY recommend it!
This week we are finishing our series on Women of the Bible, and we are looking at the story of Jesus moving towards a woman’s mess. We know her story well, because we ARE her story.
The most powerful argument the book makes is that when/if Christianity begins to feel too comfortable and lacks excitement (you’re bored) then you’re more than likely NOT FOLLOWING Jesus anymore. When following Jesus, it is our CALL, our MISSION, and our PRIVILEGE to move towards the mess in people’s lives as we are honest about the mess in our own.
The book gives 3 reasons that we DON’T move towards the messes of life, and there are SO POWERFUL.
1. Convenience – One of the reasons we resist walking with people in our TOP 5 or others who have messes in their lives, is because we are TOO BUSY! We simply have NO MARGIN in our tightly scheduled, hyper-planned lives to allow us to walk closely with messy people.
Quote from the book:
“You’ll know you’re too busy to FOLLOW JESUS when messy people are inconveniences rather than opportunities.”
2. Comfort – Moving towards the messes is not comfortable, however, everything in our lives drives us to LIVE in our comfort zones. Comfort is needed for rest and recuperation, but it is a terrible place to LIVE a life FULLY ALIVE. If we insist on “comfortable,” boredom is inevitable! Following Jesus NEVER is and never has been boring.
Quote from the book:
“You’ll never meet the BEST version of yourself while living in your comfort zone!”
3. Control – We are all wired to want control to some degree- control to fix problems fix problems, to solve issues, and to do things in such a way that we can predict outcomes. Messes are OUT OF OUR CONTROL. So we pass by the messes, and we don’t engage with people who need HOPE, because we can’t control people or their messes.
Quote from the book:
“People aren’t projects to fix, they are just people to love.”
The primary lesson from the book is that the solution for boredom is Engagement. We often think that the fix for boredom is Entertainment. However, entertainment doesn’t last! The ultimate fix for boredom is to fully engage your life in following Jesus and moving towards the people that Jesus loves (and they are messes JUST LIKE US).
This Sunday, we see Jesus live out the example for us of moving towards the mess in people’s lives by engaging another unnamed women who would not only come to know Him, but would be used to bring her entire community to believe in Jesus!
See you Sunday!