We moved back to our Temecula house almost six years ago. After purchasing it in 1988 and living in it until 2009, we then rented it out for the next six years and moved to Thousand Oaks for a job, only to return to our overused rental house. Among the many renovations, we completely redid the entire back yard, keeping only the concrete sidewalk and pad. Some of you followed those changes. I most enjoyed putting in a waterfall and pond, and we’ve enjoyed hours around it with a drink and company or a book or just the two of us. But I found I missed a feature of the waterfall we put in at Thousand Oaks: a stream bed. Well, this one kind of had it, but river rocks filled the bed and the water went under them. You saw the water spurt, then disappear until it went over the falls.
So, a week or so ago, I began to tweak it by removing a few of the rocks, replacing them with moonstones from Cambria. Then a few more rocks with more moonstones. OK, I got addicted and eventually took out two five-gallon buckets of river rocks, and I had my stream with a sandy beach. Even with a little white water to remind me of Sierra streams, where the trout feed. Sadly, this stream is too small and warm for trout, but I can live with that. It reminds me, and that’s fine.
But sometimes our lives need tweaking. Even when we’re “in God’s will.” Paul’s passion for preaching and following God led him to Troas to meet his missionary partner Titus there. As he says, “the Lord had opened a door for me” to preach. However, they missed connections, which caused Paul to have “no peace of mind,” so Paul tweaked his plans and skipped the open door. Ready for the lightning bolt to get him back to the open door?
Notice the next verse, “But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ” (see 2 Corinthians 2:12-14).
Sometimes our lives or ministries need tweaking—those minor changes that improve our lives. That can mean going from the good to the better. Or we just get stale and need a fresh start. A holy discontent may seep into our souls. Maybe, like Paul, how we serve God may need a change. Friendships might use some adjusting.
So, some tweaking tips. First, in exploring changes, let’s stay within the bounds of God’s values—this should be a given, and a lot of room remains. Second, take some time to ponder the tweaks. Some of my worst mistakes have come from rushing into a change too quickly. Get some godly advice from mature spiritual people. Search the scriptures to see what it says about the issue, and try to find all it says, not just a verse or two that might confirm what you want to do. Third, bathe it in prayer.
And, last of all, evaluate how it works. You might need to tweak the tweak. That’s OK. And as you do, rejoice that “God always leads us in triumph.” Even in our mistakes.
Kick Starting the Application
Do you sense a holy discontent in some area of your life? Is the discontent holy or carnal? Maybe pray that God lead you in a holy discontent to improve your life.