Today I was talking with a brother over lunch and this thought occurred to me: Is your life just a routine or is it an adventure? So often I get caught up in the day-to-day grind. Each day begins to blend together with the last, until it is like I am executing a computer program, a routine. There is something in us that abhors this idea. We hate the thought that our life is the same every day and has no real meaning, effect, or impact. We can’t stand it that there is no passion, zeal, or excitement in our daily lives.
This is because we are created for so much more than we settle for. The life as a follower of Jesus Christ should be an ever changing adventure. A heart that is fully yielded to Jesus allows Him to guide it through the day and sees all the events that unfold as a part of God’s plan. Every person that we encounter, and every event that takes place, is placed there by God Almighty! He has a purpose and plan for what He wants to do through us each and every day. If we let Him, He will constantly push us out of our comfort zone to share Jesus’ love with people. He will ask us to risk or sacrifice (respect, friendship, money, time, our plans) for what He is wanting in that moment.
With Jesus leading our life, we never know what He will do next. If we are fully surrendered to Him, we don’t even know where He will call us to go next. Perhaps He wants me to stay in Seattle and continue to do His work here. He does today. But, I have no idea what He may say tomorrow, or the next day! Who is He going to bring into my life today to share Christ with? Or, Who is He going to call me to go and minister to tomorrow? Will he come upon me in a powerful way today and cause me to fall to my knees in prayer for someone, interceding for them, because He is about to do something great in or through their life? Will a brother or sister in Christ call me up and speak a convicting or encouraging, God-breathed, word into my heart at just the right time when I needed to hear it? Am I the one who needs to make that call to a friend? I don’t know. But finding out is the great adventure!
As a Christan our life should never be boring. My brother in Christ, Mike, has been reading a story to me about Brother Yun from his book “The Heavenly Man“. Brother Yun was used amazingly as a messenger of Jesus Christ in communist China. He was constantly persecuted and on the run. For him every day was a new adventure in which he knew that his savior was victorious. If we are not being constantly stretched and challenged to step out of ourselves and take a step of faith then we need to asses why. If life is boring, we are missing what God had planned for us that day.
Jesus, may I live my life in the will of God so much that each day can be described as an adventure. May I seek what you are doing in every moment and in every day. Show me where you are working. Jesus help my life to be so transformed, from the “normal” life of the people in this world, that it is a compelling testimony to you! May the sweet aroma of the knowledge of you permeate my life in such a way that all will see and give glory to you! (2 Corr 2:14, Matt 5:16)
January 14, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Saddle up your horses.
We’ve got a trail to blaze.
To the wild blue yonder
of God’s amazing grace.
To the glorious unknown.
This is the great adventure!
Brings back memories of doing that ridiculous dance, doesn’t it.:) But you are so right, and so are the words of that song. And you maybe tired of hearing this, but God was talking to me about that same thing!! It’s starting to get a bit creepy.
I have a praise to share! I got to witness to our custodian yesterday! I visited that church that we sort of accidently visited in our work-out clothes. It is even more like The Bridge than you thought, but I’ll tell you all about it later. Anyway, I saw, Jesse, our school’s custodian afterwords cleaning up. We started talking, and he really opened up to be about all how he struggled to learn to read and write as a kid, and how he had this awesome teacher who helped him, and how he found out he was dyslexic when we was an adult and went to Clark for his GED. He teared up a couple of times. I kept praying, “God, please show me how to work you into this conversation.” I didn’t really think I was going to be able to, but then I saw my chance. In his story he shared a very sad story about some racisim he encountered as a boy, (he’s half Mexican and half Spanish) and I told him that I think racism is one of the most evil things in our world. I said it shows me just how truely evil mankind is, and that’s why we need Christ. He agreed with me, and we talked further about the Lord for about 20-30 minutes. He has a Catholic backgroud, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know Christ, even though he seems to think he does. Anyway, keep him in your prayers! I think God set that up for a reason. . .I didn’t expect to run into him on a weekend.
Oh, have you talked to Kristin about me coming up 2/14 yet? Let me know ‘cuz I need to ask off if I’m gunna come up that day. Did you ask the Elders if I can come to the Bible study?
Later,
Kristin
January 14, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Wow sis! Praise God! Way to embrace the adventure. I thought about that SCC song too when I wrote that. I think I am just starting to get what he meant.
I will pray for your Custodian friend.
And Yes, you can come up. I am looking foward to it! I will ask about the Bible Study this Thrusday to make you feel better, but the answer will be yes.
January 17, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Catholics do know christ.
January 17, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Interesting comment. Especially since I never said they didn’t. In fact, the words “Catholics”, “Catholic”, or “Catholicism” are never even used on this blog by me(until now). Search for yourself. I think you are refering to the comment someone else made to my blog. They said, “He has a Catholic background, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know Christ, even though he seems to think he does.” I won’t try to speak for that person, but I know her well and she believes as I do about this issue. I will try to explain.
It is an interesting comment because the statement “Catholics do know Christ” is both true and untrue. Many Catholics do know Christ. You may be one of them. Some also do not.
Being Catholic makes you a Christian about as much as being in a garage makes you a car! It doesn’t have anything to do with it. The only thing that makes you a Christian is whether or not you believe Jesus is God, that He died on the cross for your sins, and that He was raised from the dead. If you believe this, repent of your sins, and turn your life over to Jesus, you are a Christian (regardless of weather you consider yourself a Catholic, protestant, or unaffiliated). This is a decision every individual person has to make for themselves. An organization or religion cannot do it for you. For more on this see my page “How to Have a Relationship with God”.
Jesus makes no such distinctions. In God’s eyes there are two categories of people: those that are his children and believe the truth about His Son Jesus, and those that are lost and living in sin. Denominations and religions are man-made concepts. Sometimes they can be good and help us cooperate together to make a bigger impact in the world. Sometimes they can have the reverse effect, and keep us separated and segregated from other believers and limit our effectiveness in reaching the world for Jesus.
I hope this clarifies how I feel. My caution to you and others is not to assume that because you belong to a certain church or denomination that you “know Christ”. Make sure that you have made the personal commitment to Jesus and asked Him to be your personal lord and savior. Turn your life over to Him.
God bless,
Philippians1v21