Hosanna Restoration Church

No one loves being inconvenienced. No one prays each morning for the opportunity to be inconvenienced. But the truth is we all face inconvenience more often than we like. The question is how do we handle it or how can we handle it better?
Sometimes, the source of the inconvenience determines how we handle it. In fact, some inconveniences do not seem like inconveniences at all because we like what we are going to do and we like the people we are doing it for! On other occasions, what really is not big deal is a huge deal simply because of the timing or the source. You know, when little things get blown out of proportion like having to wait for someone for a minute longer than we want to wait!
Well, as I was reading in Nehemiah and I saw how they were told to go and gather branches and build shelters and then live in them for eight days, I started thinking about the inconvenience of that and yet it said that they were filled with great joy! Perhaps that was a bit of what James spoke of in considering it all joy when trials (inconveniences) come. After all, is that what things are that arise and interrupt our lives?
Recently my wife came home from Texas with a bug that managed to bite me. It was inconvenient to cough, and to wonder if I would lose my voice. Yes sickness and disease are inconveniences in our lives and often to the lives of others. Still, we can choose to rejoice in the Lord. When my tractor stopped moving, it was an inconvenience but wow did I rejoice when it was a simple fix. Some inconveniences we learn to handle with repetition, but it may be that we can learn to handle them before they come.
Jesus handled everything in prayer before it showed up. It is just like we must choose to forgive before we need to forgive. We were forgiven before we asked and so it is easiest if we learn to do the same.
The truth is, we may as well be prepared for inconvenience. If we pray to be a good and faithful witness for Jesus, then in a way, we do pray to be inconvenienced! In Revelation 19:10 we are told that the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus. We are prophecy in action. Giving a clear witness of Jesus is frequently inconvenient but like the people living in the shelters it always fills us with joy when we do.
With Jesus, we can plan for a more peaceful and fulfilling New Year rejoicing at every opportunity to be a clear witness for Jesus even when it is not so convenient.