"Holy Discontent" disappoints

I know, I know. I'm still working through Foster's Celebration of Discipline, but I picked up Bill Hybel's book, Holy Discontent out of curiosity and finished it faster. It reads that easy.

The book is structured much like what I imagine Hybel's messages are like at Willow Creek. But I confess I was disappointed. There was no new ground: just a restating of stuff that's been written by many people. Hybel's basic point is: people give themselves when they can't stand a situation anymore and just have to do something about it. Um. Duh?

Hybels cites Moses, Nehemiah, and Popeye as examples of people (or characters in Popeye's case) with what Hybels' calls "holy discontent." The problem is that Hybels states that this discontent releases a positive energy that drive a person to act. Hybels warns we must make sure our goals and work align with God's, that we must make sure we prayerfully ask God to bless our efforts.

But doesn't that put the cart before the horse? Shouldn't we discover what God wants us to do and then pursue that, rather than ask God to bless our plans? Granted God can work through our passions, but I'm not comfortable letting my emotions (even anger) about something be the bellweather for my life's work.

And what about that "positive energy" stuff? Shouldn't we be more concerned with the Holy Spirit; God Almighty living in us and through us? But "positive energy"? Sounds like Hybels has compromised a tad in the post-modern direction.

Hybels has had a lot of good things to say over the years, but I don't think Holy Discontent is one of his better outings.