Dangerous

Last month I wrote about our fixation with safety during the pandemic. This month I’m going to stay with the same theme but with a different slant.  I’d like to speak of a pet peeve I had with the church long before Covid — our obsession with safety. We pray for safety all the time (you’re probably thinking I’m reckless, but I’m not) yet have rarely heard prayers that we may be dangerous to our enemy the devil and the darkness-filled world around us.  I have seen this only grow during the last year as we’ve dealt with the Coronvirus pandemic.

See if you agree with what you read:  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Now answer this question: what is the biggest threat that faces not only Christian youth but also the church?  Sex, drugs and rock and roll? Post-modernity?  Our liberal government?

Yes, these are all problems, but I think the biggest threat that we face as a church and believers is something far more pervasive, but a threat that very few see coming. It’s the threat of accepting the safe life. It’s the life the elder brother chose in the story Jesus told about the prodigal son. It’s a life defined by what you are not.

And yet we are God’s handiwork, created to do good works.

CALLED FOR MORE

Are you like most Christians who are satisfied by ‘not being bad?’ The issue is as long as you are content with who you are not, you’re not embracing the person who God created you to be.

The gospel calls you to do more, so much more. If you read our passage from earlier again, you find that God considers each of His children a masterpiece, created as His finest work, to display His glory.  The gospel calls you to your original purpose, designed before the world began.  You were born for something. Hint: it’s not to sit around and live safe, measured, easy lives. You were born to live out a radical, difference-making life, to transform the world around you with the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So what does that look like?  It could be in full-time ministry. God called me out a successful (and enjoyable) career in the investment industry.  Or it may be as a difference-maker in the field of art, athletics, law, service or medicine.  The sky is literally the limit.

DON’T SETTLE

Be careful!  The enemy wants us to be content with just being the good little Christian who doesn’t do anything wrong but doesn’t really do anything transforming either.  But the gospel calls you to something more.   Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28 to go INTO the world and makes disciples of all nations. That means we need to be in the mix, get our hands dirty, roll up our sleeves and be engaged.

I hope by now you are asking as I did earlier: what does that look like for me?  I wish I could tell you God’s plan for you, but I can’t. I do know that when you find it, it won’t be safe, in fact you’ll be dangerous. Dangerous to apathy, dangerous to status quo, dangerous to safe. Yes, it does have a cost and it is hard at times (trust me, I KNOW this!) but you have a God who put this plan together before the beginning of time and He’s with you every step of the way. You are his HANDIWORK, his creation, and he has PLANS for you. How cool is that?

There is risk, it can (and will) be scary. I remember when I left my job in the investment business for ministry, taking a big pay cut and terrified I wouldn’t make it. And here I am and oh, the stories I can tell of God’s provision.   If you’d like to hear it, please ask.  The thing to remember is it’s never too late to dive deeper into God’s plans for you and become dangerous! 

SWIM BUDDIES

Last thing: If you’re going to jump out of the boat and start to swim in the dangerous seas of life you need someone to journey with you.  Part of the success for the US Navy SEALS is they never do anything alone. At the most basic level each SEAL has a Swim Buddy, someone they go through all form of challenges with. If you’re going to swim with the sharks, you can’t do it alone. Find someone to swim with.  Then, jump out of the boat, start swimming, be dangerous, and experience the power of God’s purpose and plan for you.