Functional dysfunction.
It’s a term I learned from Pastor Dr. Eric Mason. He says, “Functional
dysfunction is when we create and live in a normal and don’t know how messy it
really is.” Months after hearing Dr.
Mason’s term for the way we get comfortable living with our sins, the term
functional dysfunction has stayed with me.
Why? Because I see the reality of
it in my own life. In ways that I parent,
how I interact in relationships, ways that I spend money, my every day thoughts,
and ways that I spend my time all have elements of functional dysfunction. The Bible has another word for functional dysfunction:
stronghold. You know you have a stronghold
in your life when you can’t imagine life beyond the mess you’re living in. We might read of God’s promises and hear of His peace and
joy, but we’ve been knee deep in our dysfunction for so long we forget what walking on solid ground even feels like.
I’m bringing up the topic of strongholds
because it’s just downright hard to surrender them. Here’s the good news, though; God wants to
come into your stronghold. He wants to
have an encounter with you right in the middle of your functional dysfunction. When you surrender your circumstances,
attitudes, beliefs, emotions, relationships, and life to Him you start to see
your functional dysfunction as an obstacle to the true freedom God is offering
you through a relationship with Jesus. Surrendering to God isn’t about finally
getting it “right”, it’s about finally letting it go and handing it over to the
One who promises,
“... Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover
your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with
me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything
heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live
freely and lightly.” (Matthew 28:11 MSG, emphasis added) Heavenly Father, I want to have the faith and courage to say, take it. Take it, it's all yours and I trust you with everything and anything. Surrendering those areas of my life that seem to work in the temporary is hard. They can appear so good for a while, but good apart from you is worthless. Recover my life from where I function in dysfunction. Be my constant companion, Jesus, and teach me how to live freely and lightly. Amen.
Jena M.
