The Habit of Enjoying the Disagreeable

Walking barefoot on small stones—uncomfortable, but forming the habit of grace in every step.

Devotional Credit: Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Oswald Chambers brings to the surface a question that strips away religious veneer: how do we respond to what we find disagreeable? He reminds us that the Christian life isn’t just about avoiding hell but about revealing the Son of God in the everyday friction of mortal existence. The acid test of whether Christ’s life is being revealed in us isn’t seen in moments of inspiration, but in how we respond to the irritating, the inconvenient, the unjust, and the unpleasant. That’s where the life of Jesus either quietly radiates or the old self lashes out.

Chambers doesn’t call us to grit our teeth or fake it. Rather, he invites us to discover the joy of obedience that springs from the life of Christ already at work within. As we habitually yield to that indwelling life—even in what rubs us the wrong way—we no longer reveal ourselves but Him. His sweetness replaces our irritability. His sufficiency overshadows our complaints. And as we train our souls to respond, “Lord, I delight to obey You here,” even the disagreeable becomes a platform for the brightness of Christ to shine.

There’s no glory in choosing the hard path for hardship’s sake. But when God allows the disagreeable into our lives, it's never arbitrary—it’s an opportunity to express Christ. And we can respond, not by drumming up resolve, but by resting in the life that already overcomes. Wherever we are, He is enough.

Journal Entry — Voice of the Holy Spirit

I am not asking you to pretend that the disagreeable feels good—I am drawing you to a deeper place where your joy is not rooted in ease but in Me. Every difficult encounter, every frustration, every irritation is a doorway through which My Son longs to walk into visibility. Will you let Him?

I am forming in you the habit of divine reflection—the kind that reveals the sweetness of Christ when your flesh would rather grumble or withdraw. When you surrender without hesitation, when your inner response is “Yes, Lord,” even before you understand, My light shines unhindered.

You were not placed here to escape the trials of earth, but to manifest the treasure of heaven within you. That treasure is Christ, and He is more than enough. Your circumstances are not in the way; they are the way. Do not recoil from what I’ve allowed. Let Christ respond in you. Let Me show you how beautifully He loves, how gently He serves, how joyfully He obeys—even in what the world calls disagreeable.

I have made you a vessel of My life. The more you yield, the more that life will overflow. And it will not be you they see—but the Son of God, alive in your mortal body.

Scriptures referenced: 2 Corinthians 4:11, Philippians 2:14-15, Galatians 2:20, Romans 12:1, Colossians 3:17, Hebrews 13:21

Real-Life Analogy

It’s like walking barefoot on a driveway littered with small pebbles. You wouldn’t choose that surface. Each step is uncomfortable, but as you keep walking, your feet adjust. The discomfort doesn’t vanish, but your stride becomes steadier, your balance more natural. Eventually, you realize: the pebbles didn’t stop you from reaching your destination—they trained you to walk with care, to feel each moment fully, and to rely on grace for every step.

Prayer of Confidence

Father, thank You that in every uncomfortable, inconvenient, and disagreeable situation, Christ is already present in me—ready to respond with joy and gentleness. I rest in the truth that I am not called to react from my old self but to reveal the beauty of Your Son. I embrace the moments I once avoided, knowing that each one is an opportunity to display the life that now defines me. I trust You, and I delight to obey.