Book Review: Holy Discontent

Three weeks ago, I received an email from a person at Zondervan books asking if I'd be willing to review one or both of two new books on my blog. At first, I thought it was "junk mail", but as I read the descriptions of the books, I thought, "I might as well. I'm on a reading frenzy anyway this summer." So I sent the email that said I agreed to review BOTH books. I forgot about the email and went about my Summer busy-ness.

On Saturday, the books arrived in the mail. I looked them over and found myself thankful that they both looked kind of short so that I could read them before we leave on our cruise. As you can see from the previous post, though, I was going to finish Life of Pi first.

Sunday came and we went to church. The Pastor started a new series called, Unlikely Heroes. He started talking about this whole idea of "Holy Discontent" and cited the book several times. I found myself wondering if it were just a coincidence that I received the book the day before this series kicked off??? He talked about the fact that each of us has the opportunity to be a hero in someone else's life...even in simple ways.

I was stirred up as I left the service yesterday. Iwas bugged by some things that took place after the Pastor spoke...people who stood to speak and though under the auspices of "glorifying God" seemed to be "glorifying self". I was bugged by the fact that we have a mix of people....Socio-economic status wise and that sometimes this can be a stumbling block for people who are from a different background. I was bothered by the fact that the service went long and I wondered if I could bring my "unchurched" friends to such a place and expect them to accept it. To say the least, I was a bit cranky.

Even though I was bugged by some of the "extra" events, the Pastor's words kept ringing in my mind: We have to find that place of Holy Discontent and ACT on it! I came home and started Bill Hybels' book, Holy Discontent almost immediately after I finished reading Pi.

Basically, Hybels asserts that it's when we have what he calls a "Popeye Moment" when we find ourselves saying, "Thats all I can stands and I can't stands no more!" that we are in that state of Holy Discontent. It's at the point when we are so bugged, so enraged, so passionate about something that we are ready to pop open our own can of holy spinach and take action. Hybels calls this "the thing that wrecks you and also wrecks God so that He can sign you up for service."

He describes very famous people who have had this type of discontent: Moses, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and Bono. All people that I see "far out of MY league"! But he also describes the holy discontent of people who were relative "unknowns"--normal people like you and me. Hybels asserts that when we know what our holy discontent is that it's this one thing that will...

move you off of dead center, get you off the couch, and thrust you into the game, where it's fight, fight, fight until some progress starts to show up! What's more, once you say yes to serving God's agenda in the world, he then begins the process of channeling the holy-discontent frustration into a postive vision that propels you into a future charged with energy and purpose.

I found myself reading with a fervor, hoping that somewhere in these pages, I'd find "Susan's Holy Discontent". I didn't. My problem is that I get insensed by many of the "big" things I see happening in our world poverty, hunger, injustice, violence, etc. And the truth is, that because I feel "called" into education and teaching in a school that serves children of poverty, I feel like, in some ways, I live out my Holy Discontent daily.

I also found myself reflecting on people I know who are obviously in touch with their own Holy Discontent: Jane at Cozy Reader and her husband who have a heart for starting (and have started) a seminary and ministries in Venezuela, my DSs 1 & 2 who have both told me they'd like to go back to Belize, a man in our church who flies supplies to third world countries, the ministry in our church that provides clothes to the homeless and hurting, my very good college friend who is working for Wycliffe Bible Translation etc. etc. etc.

But I also know there's more for ME to do. And so I was glad when the author addressed people who are in the place I am...trying to find my "IT" for this season in my life. This quote at the end of the book summarized my current position:

Are you willing for God to lead you in the endeavor of figuring out what it is that you cannot stand--what wrecks you from the inside out? Don't
forget that there's a reason why you grew up the way you did. Why you've
experienced what you have. Why you've traveled where you've been.
And He is looking for someone just like you to start setting some
things right in this world.

I believe it's when we find our God-given/God-inspired passion and seek after it with zeal and purpose, that we will make a difference in this world. I, for one, can't wait to see what the next chapter holds!

For me, this book was a powerful read. I actually found myself wondering if I could "get" my kids and my friends to read it. It's time that we stop being complacent and waiting for others to be making a difference in the world. Even if it's our "little world" in which we live, and work, and play. We can make a difference NOW right where we are! We just have to WANT IT.

May we ALL find our place of Holy Discontent then ACT upon it!

For another perspective on this topic, and review of this book, go visit Lauren's Post at Baseballs and Bows.