Radical

We're about to really go off the path here.....

As a teenager, I remember reading In His Steps, a book that would later start the WWJD craze that we had a few years back. (There's nothing wrong with WWJD...it just sadly became a bit of a commercialized cliche) When I read that book, I was totally inspired. I wanted to see what the world would look like if a few people in a community really took Jesus' words seriously and began to live by them. For a few years, I passed a lot of my life through that filter (I would say everything, but let's be really honest), asking myself, "How would Jesus respond to this situation?" and really trying to live out what I felt was the appropriate response. During that time, I felt closer to God, more assured of purpose in my life and enjoyed the peace of feeling that I was on the right track. I studied my Bible regularly, journaled, prayed longer and deeper than sentence prayers over meals and the occasional impassioned plea for help. I went on missions and was involved in community outreach. Life was great!

Then I graduated from college, got a job, and started a family. Life was still good...my life even involved ministry as part of earning a living. Surely, I was still doing what Jesus would do. But over the last few years, I've begun to struggle a little. I'm starting to see a problem in my life: I feel comfortable where I am. Instead of continually asking myself what would Jesus do today, I'm relying on past experience to lead me into where I should be serving and what I should be doing. Most of the time, that can be a good thing. Past experiences teach us all kinds of things that should be applied to present and future experiences. But what if I'm not doing what he has for me because I'm only doing what I think I'm good at? What if I'm missing his heart because I'm focused on leading the way that I think is the most effective?

This week, I read Radical. David and I have struggled with "the american dream" since we were dating. Both of us have spent time in foreign countries where people sleep on the floor and have no electricity or indoor plumbing. We feel blessed to be part of a country where most people can take these luxuries for granted. But we know that we have been blessed to be a blessing to others. How can we reach our community and our world if we shift our focus from what we can give to others to what we can accumulate for ourselves? Don't get me wrong, I love having a nice car and new clothes, etc. I just don't ever want that to become my focus.

As I read the book, I was encouraged, inspired, and brought back to that place that I found as a teenager. What would the church look like if we actually heard Jesus' words and followed them? Can you imagine a church that commits to taking care of orphans because that's what the Bible says and the members contact the Department of Human services to let them know that there are enough families in the church who are willing to become foster or adoptive parents to take care of all or the orphans/foster kids in the county? What if, instead of having a Bible study in our comfortable homes, we had a Bible study in the common room of the local low income housing community and got to know the people that lived there? What if every single person in the church committed to doing something outside of their comfort zone to bless others this year? What if we asked God to open our eyes to the needs of others and then asked Him to use us to meet those needs? What if we asked ourselves "What will it take to reach lost and dying people?" rather than "What can I spare for this charitable cause?" Are we willing to go there?

As I start to ask myself these questions, I realize how comfortable I've become. I realize that I need to go back to that place where I'm open to whatever, whenever,however God opens doors for me to serve, even if it seems outlandish or farfetched.  Life is an adventure! I think we're about to set out on a whole new level of adventure this year as we begin to really ask ourselves ...how would Jesus respond to the people that I encounter in my job, in my neighborhood, in my church, in my community, in my world and what is He asking me to do about it?