Amy Sherman over at Common Grounds has a great post on the “Gift of Agitation”.

John Piper, in his book, A Hunger for God, has very helpfully reminded us of what the appropriate posture of the Church should be. It is the posture of the longing Bride, waiting at the altar for the appearing of the bridegroom. She is tapping her foot and glancing at her watch. The bride is filled with a “holy discontent” over the absence of her Bridegroom and is busy crying out “Maranatha! Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!” The New Testament church exhibited this posture, because it was a persecuted church. Christians were intimately acquainted with suffering and poverty. They were eager for Christ to consummate His Kingdom, because they knew that things on earth were not the way they were supposed to be.

Unfortunately, this agitated posture is not the posture of the typical American congregation. We do not long fervently for the consummation of Christ’s Kingdom because we’re really rather happy just the way things are. American abundance and affluence anesthetize us. We are comfortable. We are not crying out night and day for God to bring justice on earth. We forget to shout, Maranatha!

Convicting. And this contentment with the way things are is something that I have to fight all the time.

Of course, go and read the whole thing.

[Hat tip: Jared]