One of the greatest temptations I face in life is to play it safe. To sit on the sidelines and let other people step out and take risks. It's easy to take risks when you have nothing to lose. But once you have accumulated a few things in this life it gets harder and harder to step out and risk. One of the problems with success is that we are afraid of losing the things that we have gained. We move into protectionism instead of taking new ground. When we do this we lose the sense of adventure that life is meant to be.
Here is how Erwin McManus puts it, "By definition an adventure is "an undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature." In other words, it comes at great risk and at significant cost. And life as God intends for you to live it is nothing less than an adventure... You might be thinking, I'm not sure if I really want to undertake an enterprise of a hazardous nature. Is a life of adventure really worth the risk? Is it really necessary? Yes, you can choose to play it safe, you can choose to settle for less, but never forget this: You were born to live a great adventure; You were created with a divine destiny; You are called to fulfill a great mission."
Oh man, when I read those words I want to look in the mirror and shout, "Get going! Don't hold back! Yes, use your brains and be smart about it but the worst thing you can do is sit there frozen by fear when God is for you and on your side - go forward!"
It's too bad that sometimes the message of Jesus is so misrepresented. So many times people think that Jesus' message is all about what you should not do. Don't do bad stuff and you are obeying Jesus. The invitation of God is not so much about what not to do, it is about what we are called to do. Jesus calls us into action, not away from it. He calls us to FOLLOW HIM in the great adventure of living life to the full and fulling the purposes of God. The message of God calls us away from sin SO THAT we can give ourselves to the GREAT THINGS that God has for us. The message of Christianity is not the emptying of desire (that is Buddhism) but instead it is the transformation of desire. God is inviting you into the adventure of a lifetime in following Him. You only have one life to live...what are you waiting for? Let's go!
Here is how Erwin McManus puts it, "By definition an adventure is "an undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature." In other words, it comes at great risk and at significant cost. And life as God intends for you to live it is nothing less than an adventure... You might be thinking, I'm not sure if I really want to undertake an enterprise of a hazardous nature. Is a life of adventure really worth the risk? Is it really necessary? Yes, you can choose to play it safe, you can choose to settle for less, but never forget this: You were born to live a great adventure; You were created with a divine destiny; You are called to fulfill a great mission."
Oh man, when I read those words I want to look in the mirror and shout, "Get going! Don't hold back! Yes, use your brains and be smart about it but the worst thing you can do is sit there frozen by fear when God is for you and on your side - go forward!"
It's too bad that sometimes the message of Jesus is so misrepresented. So many times people think that Jesus' message is all about what you should not do. Don't do bad stuff and you are obeying Jesus. The invitation of God is not so much about what not to do, it is about what we are called to do. Jesus calls us into action, not away from it. He calls us to FOLLOW HIM in the great adventure of living life to the full and fulling the purposes of God. The message of God calls us away from sin SO THAT we can give ourselves to the GREAT THINGS that God has for us. The message of Christianity is not the emptying of desire (that is Buddhism) but instead it is the transformation of desire. God is inviting you into the adventure of a lifetime in following Him. You only have one life to live...what are you waiting for? Let's go!
