The Ultimate Adventure

Jesus came so that we could have life to the fullest! (John 10:10) Sure, the gospel is about forgiveness, but that is only half of the story. We are forgiven in order that we may really live. Christ gave His life for us, to give His life to us, in order to live His life through us. Many confuse being a Christian with being religious. The word “religion” comes from the Latin word “religere” which means “to bind or tie up.” In other words, religion is about trying to get my life together. Christianity is radical compared to religion. It is about abandoning my own efforts to achieve that which can only be received from God Himself…real life. The problem is that we keep trying to substitute religion for a relationship with God.

Brennan Manning shares the following story in his book Ruthless Trust: “When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at “the house of the dying” in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she asked. He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: “Pray that I have clarity.” She said firmly, “No I will not do that.” When he asked her why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Ships are safe at harbor, but that is not what ships are made for. God is calling us to cast off our religious ties to embark on an adventure with Him! Don’t miss the boat, set sail for that which we were created for…true life.

May your sails be set to follow wherever God may lead!

Steve