When Nehemiah realized the condition of the people of God in exile and the status of the holy city of Jerusalem in Nehemiah, he became burdened for the things that burdened the heart of God. He fasted. He prayed. He became clear that there was a more preferable future for the people of God. He took action to revive the people of God to continue the mission of God. Nehemiah was experiencing “holy discontent”.
“Holy discontent” refers to a positive, spiritually motivated dissatisfaction with the status quo with a current situation that pushes expressions of faith to strive for deeper trust in God, greater impact in their community, and more active advancement of God’s Kingdom. It is one of the first steps that an expression of faith must have to move from a church that simply meets on the seventh day to become a 7 day church.
What makes holy discontent different from just being unhealthy discontent? A few key factors and results include:
Positive Motivation
Unlike unhealthy discontent which stems from negativity or personal grievances, “holy discontent” is driven by a desire to accomplish the mission/vision/values that God has for you and your faith community.
Focus on Growth
Instead of focusing on what has been lost, “holy discontent” puts effort toward what can be. It can catalyze spiritual and numerical growth.
Reconciliation
Embracing “holy discontent” can lead to the acknowledgment of brokenness and sin and be an encouragement to repent and improve relationships with God and others.
Increased Engagement
When individuals feel “holy discontent,” they are more likely to actively advance God’s Kingdom through their participation in sharing the Gospel boldly and living the gospel winsomely.
Renewed Focus
“Holy discontent” can prompt a renewed focus on whom God has called us to minister. There is a turn of focus from inside the faith community to outside of the faith community so that Jesus might be made famous to the ends of the earth.
Vitality
By constantly seeking to not stagnate spiritually, those with “holy discontent” can experience a greater level of vibrancy and impact within their community.
Leadership
“Holy discontent” can play a key role in restoring the fire to take current leaders from lukewarm to flaming hot in their pursuit of Jesus and their vision of a more preferable future. It can also help identify new leaders who sense that faith communities should be much more than they are currently.
If there is a sense of “holy discontent” in your church or expression of faith, there is hope. The best time to address your “holy discontent” is when it began. But the second best time is now!
The SDB General Conference recognizes that we cannot begin to take steps towards the more preferable future that God has for our network of expressions of faith without intention and support.
If you are experiencing some “holy discontent”, we invite you to consider registering for our Road to Revitalization (R2R) event.
The Road to Revitalization is a registration-only event to encourage you to take the PULSE of your expression of faith and then action towards becoming a 7 day church. This event will be about one hour long on Zoom and anyone is welcome to register and attend. You can find more information at seventhdaybaptist.org/r2r.
