Being Okay With "Annoying," Part II

They tell me that one of the key components in ministry is being vulnerable. Honesty is the best policy, right?

I remember a Sunday night in children's church back in the day where we learned about honesty. At the end of the night we were challenged to go out and "be PocaHonest." I've never forgotten that (insert wise quip on the importance of children's ministry here). 

So, are you ready for me to be Pocahonest? I don't paint with all the colors of the wind, have a pet raccoon, talk to a tree named Grandmother Willow, nor am I in love with John Smith. Hope you weren't expecting any of those (although I wouldn't mind the John Smith part). 

Ok, here's my Pocahonest moment. 

That "Being Okay With Annoying" thing I talked about in my last post? Yes, well...turns out I'm not so good at that. The last few weeks have been...ahem, challenging. My glamorous job of making donuts and coffee is not a great get-out-of-bed motivator. I know you're shocked to learn that. And I'm sure you're shocked to learn that not everything I write about is something I've mastered. 

Okay, maybe you're not so shocked.

I've struggled to get my hands on a good attitude as I go to work. I'm not good at finding joy in things I don't particularly enjoy. And I'm really bad at being optimistic when I'm by nature slightly more pessimistic. Like I said: challenging. 

In a bigger project that I'm working on, I've been reminded that I need the Gospel. I need it everyday. EVERY. DAY. I need to be reminded that Jesus Christ loves me enough to die for me, and that love is enough for me to make donuts with His glory as my goal (I Corinthians 10:31). My contentment isn't found in my job (this I've become frustratingly aware of). My contentment should be found in Jesus Christ, "who gave Himself for [me] to redeem [me] from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a [person] for his own possession who [is] zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14). 

I need the Gospel. I need to be reminded of the love that went to the cross, and the power that brought Him out of the grave. The same love still loves me today, and the same power is going to give me strength, endurance, wisdom, and even a good attitude as I—you got it, make donuts. 

So, has God given me something I can't handle? Of course not. It's just taking a little bit longer to learn how to handle it than I thought it was going to. 

There you have it—part II of "Being Okay With Annoying," written by yours truly, Pocahonest. I'll keep you posted on the John Smith thing. 

Being Okay With "Annoying"

"God won't give you anything you can't handle."

Ok, that's valid. I Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

You usually hear this when you face something huge that is way above your pay grade.

You just lost your job.
Your brother was given 6 weeks to live.
The diagnosis was cancer.
Your spouse has been unfaithful.
The baby you were carrying has no heartbeat.

These are huge things. These are hard things. These are things that bring the temptation of bitterness, the temptation of blaming God, and the temptation to walk away from the One who promises strength to endure it.

And those concerns are legitimate. Those trials are huge and hard. And the temptations that accompany are pretty convincing at times.

But what about the little things? What about things that are just plain old annoying? The things that may give the evil one a foothold?

Don't those things bring similar temptation?

Don't get me wrong; those what-just-happened-things are huge. I am not trivializing the tough things that life throws our way. But why is I Corinthians 10:13 only mentioned in those can't-see-around-this-one moments?

I've found myself preaching 1 Corinthians 10:13 to myself lately. I'm not enduring any life-questioning trial right now, but its words ring true.

I'm working an hourly-wage job where I make doughnuts and coffee. I'm a college graduate with a decent résumé learning to thank God for my hourly job that leaves me smelling like a giant doughnut (this may be good or bad, depending on how much you like fried dough).

This is a small thing, but it brings the same kind of temptation. Am I tempted to be bitter about working a high schooler's job that is somewhat unfulfilling? Yes. Am I tempted to blame God for not giving me a dream job right out of college regardless of how unreasonable that is? Yes. Am I tempted to be wildly jealous of all of my friends who are getting engaged or married right now? Yes. Is that last one irrelevant to this entire post? Yes, but I thought I'd throw it in just for kicks.

And then I'm reminded of I Corinthians 10:13, where it says that I'm not the only one being messed with by these temptations. These thoughts, these pulls to mental misdeeds, are common to man...I'm not alone! And, God is faithful. He knows. And He's going to give me strength to endure it. That may be in the form of providing really good shoes so that my feet don't hurt so much after a 9-hour shift. Or arranging the schedule so that I work with the people that I connect with the best. Or, reminding me through the Spirit of Scriptural truths like 1 Corinthians 10:13 throughout the day.

You see, the Bible is good for all of life. In every season and at every turn. I can't just reserve certain parts of it for things that are really hard, and disregard those parts when they're not needed. We are to be preaching the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) everyday to ourselves and to others...because all Scripture is from God and beneficial for our use (II Timothy 3:16-17).

So today, I'm thankful for God's faithfulness in the big things—the huge, hard, you've-got-to-be-kidding-me things—and in the little, monotonous, annoying things. His faithfulness is unchanging (James 1:17), no matter what your circumstance is, however big or little it may be.

And remember, God won't give you anything you can't handle.