Willing to Be Inconvenienced for His Glory

This past Sunday, I was with a very good friend who is recovering from a serious injury. Unable to attend her church in person, we watched the live stream together. Her pastor preached from Matthew 5, focusing on verse 10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

He spoke about a lie often whispered in the Christian faith—the idea that choosing God means we are exempt from trouble or pain. That somehow, because we believe in Christ, all our problems will disappear. But that is not biblical. Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Being a follower of Christ does not mean the absence of pain; it simply means we never walk through it alone.

That sermon stirred something in me. It made me wonder how willing I truly am to be inconvenienced for the sake of Christ. We sing songs like “Where you send me, I’ll go,” but is that my heart’s reality? Am I genuinely willing to let God interrupt my plans, even if it’s uncomfortable? It reminded me of Isaiah 6:8, where Isaiah responds to God’s call by saying, “Here am I. Send me!”—yet how often do we pause at the inconvenience of that call?

I was tested on this just yesterday. After spending time with my friend, I was headed back home to DC. I booked an evening flight, knowing I would land close to midnight. But what I didn’t predict were the weather delays.

As I waited in the airport, I remembered stretching out across those hard seats, trying to find some kind of comfort. My head throbbed from PCS symptoms, and my joints flared painfully from autoimmune issues. Medication wasn’t working. I had pushed myself beyond my capacity, and I could feel it.

Every passing hour seemed to drag painfully slow, and I just wanted to be home. I wanted relief. But relief didn’t come. Instead, discomfort did. Waiting did. More delay did.

My 9:55 p.m. connecting flight kept getting pushed back until it was finally rescheduled for 1:47 a.m.—hours after I was supposed to be home.

Now, I’m almost 40, and my days of being out all night ended in my 20s. So, I accepted the airline’s complimentary hotel stay and rebooked for the next morning. But I was frustrated—my plans were disrupted, my schedule was thrown off, and I just wanted to be home. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” I didn’t see it then, but God’s purpose was unfolding in the inconvenience.

It wasn’t until the next morning, riding with my Uber driver back to the airport, that I understood the importance of being willing to be inconvenienced for God’s will.

My driver seemed to be struggling with faith. He shared that he grew up religious but never truly understood a relationship with Christ. He admitted that he’s searching for God but doesn’t identify as a Christian because he feels unworthy—not knowledgeable enough, not living right enough.

That opened the door for me to minister to him. I shared how following Christ is not about immediate perfection but a journey. Philippians 1:6 came to mind: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” I spoke about how God sees our hearts, even in our imperfections. I told him that Christianity is not a destination; it’s a walk, a commitment to Christ, even when we stumble.

He seemed to take it in—genuinely listening. As I left the car, I thought back to the long delays, the painful symptoms in my body that were still present, and the disruption to my schedule. Suddenly, the inconvenience felt like nothing compared to the opportunity to plant a mustard seed of faith in someone searching for God.

Sometimes, God’s greatest work is done in our moments of disruption. We say, “Lord, send me, I’ll go,” but what if going means being delayed and experiencing your own level of personal pain? What if it means using the little mental energy you have left for someone else? Are we still willing? 2 Timothy 4:2 says to “be ready in season and out of season.” Are we willing to minister even when it’s inconvenient?

This was not persecution for righteousness’ sake, but it was a step towards releasing control and allowing God to use me for His glory—even when it disrupted my plans. If inconvenience is the price to plant a seed in someone’s life, then I pray I’m always willing to pay it.