Kyle Idleman continues Chapter 9 of AHA by stating that when convicted hearts don’t lead to changed lives due to inaction, there are some consistent side effects. Pastor Idleman presents and discusses three such side effects. These side effects also can serve as symptoms or warnings that we need to take action.
1. An underlying sense of fatigue and frustration. Pastor Idleman stresses that when we don’t take appropriate action to align our life with our heart, our life begins to violate our heart. It’s like attempting to run a marathon without training for it. We won’t finish the race and we’ll be in a lot of pain. Fatigue and frustration won’t go away until our action correlates with the awakening of our heart.
2. Unidentified tension in significant relationships. Frustration with inaction inevitably spills over into our relationships with others. We become hard to live with and develop a critical spirit. Our overt criticisms reveal things about ourselves that must be addressed.
3. Undirected anger. The author notes that awakening without action always leads to guilt, because we’re living our life in a way that’s inconsistent with our convictions. Our guilt almost always surfaces as anger. IT’s free-floating hostility, not specifically directed at any one person or situation. Perhaps we’re actually angry at ourselves!
Today’s question: Which symptom(s) of inaction most accurately describes you following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “It’s time to get up”