An Adventurous Life

Adventure is defined as an exciting and uncertain undertaking attended by risk and danger - a remarkable experience where one has been put to the test.  We love to watch movies with a brave hero facing impossible odds.   No matter how great the risk, we are confident the hero will be victorious in the end.

Christianity can similarly be an exciting and dangerous undertaking attended by risk and peril.  And we are assured, just as in the movies, the faithful Christian will be victorious in the end.  God has never said we are to lead a mundane, safe existence – that is usually the life we choose ourselves.  When we read the Bible it soon becomes very clear that God has an adventurous heart.  He loves watching us bravely face seemingly impossible odds, risking uncertainty as we lay everything on the line for our beliefs (at the same time inspiring those around us).  At times, God may let us experience some close shaves, times of trial, uncertainty and discomfort – often waiting until the very last minute to send in His cavalry.  But this is what makes the Christian life exciting and gives our heavenly audience (elect angels) something to cheer about.

Running the Victory Lap

When a winning athlete is granted a victory lap, it is a very joyous occasion.  As the athlete runs slowly around the arena, proudly displaying their country’s flag, he or she is on an emotional high, smiling and waving to the crowd.

Christ was victorious at the cross.  However, he didn’t hang around for his victory lap. Instead, he said he was heading off to build us all a mansion in Heaven.  While he is away, he has asked us to do the victory lap.
As Christians, our lives should reflect the joyful-athlete running the victory lap.  When we run around the ‘Arena of Life’ facing its tests and trials, we should do it with the full knowledge that the race has already been won.  We should run proud and carefree, holding high the flag of Christ for everyone to see.  When the crowd see our joyful-life, even under pressure, and see the flag we are holding, they will know to whom the victory belongs.  Happiness is contagious and everyone wants to celebrate with a winner.

Spiritual Explorer

An explorer is defined as one who visits unknown parts of the world for the purpose of exploration.  Generally speaking, an explorer needs strong determination, courage to face the unknown and an insatiable curiosity to discover what is over the next horizon. 
In colonial days, explorers were sent to find rich, fertile lands for future settlement.  On finding such land, they were very eager to get back and give a glowing report on their discovery. 

We should all be Spiritual Explorers - seeking, investigating, examining and discovering.  We should have an insatiable curiosity about our Maker and His plan for our lives.  Unless we go searching, nothing will be discovered, and everyday is a new opportunity for exploration.  We should have an indomitable resolve to search the frontiers of His Word and have the courage and confidence to face the unknown as we hold fast to His promises.
When we discover the rich and fertile lands of Grace, we should eagerly rush back to tell all who will listen.  When interested people ask for direction, as Spiritual Explorers, we should be able to give them instruction on how to cross the mountains of sin (through faith in Christ) and settle for eternity in the golden lands of Grace. 

Film of Life

We are the star of our own Film of Life and we have a contract that allows us to choose who will be the director.  We can star and direct our own life, but the stress at times will be unbearable.  When we try to control everything happening behind the scenes, our life’s performance will inevitably suffer.  In the end, we will only make a B-grade tragedy / horror of our life.   
Alternatively, we have the option of asking God to direct our lives.  Only He has the right qualifications to direct a combined - thriller / adventure / romance.  God is a perfect director and has a perfect tailor-made script for each of us.  He knows exactly how long a scene should last, He knows all the best angles, His knowledge of lighting and locations are incomparable and He handles all the problems that arise behind the scenes with graceful ease.  True, at times God can be a tough director, but this is only to encourage the very best performance from His stars.  God has also promised that in every film He directs the leading stars will receive Oscars (eternal rewards).
However, we can not forget about Satan.  He was the very first star to sack God and direct his own life.  Satan wants all the credit and he is now in the process of making the biggest box-office-flop of all time.  He is also very keen for us to take a supporting role in his picture.

Different Species of Birds

God has made a world with many different species of birds.  Each has its distinct colorings, characteristics and call.  Through creation we learn God loves variety.  However, we are often guilty of thinking that when we become Christians we should all be white swans.
I wonder how many times God has wanted a Christian eagle that speaks eagle, to witness to the eagles -  a Christian owl that knows the owls’ ways, to bare testimony to the owls – a Christian wren to speak fluently to the wrens?  Unfortunately, if all God’s birds are pretending to be white swans, none of their own species will take them seriously.

Whoever we are, whatever we do, we should do it professionally as unto God.  We should let Him raise us up with the winds of grace so those around will look and wonder how we can glide through life, tranquil and relaxed, filled with compassion and inner strength.  When they question, we shall have the answer in a language and personality they understand.  As Christians, we should stop pretending to be something we are not and realise God made us the way we are for a reason - to be missionaries in our own occupations and recreations.

Spiritual Sponge

When a sponge comes in contact with water, it absorbs the liquid and expands.  When it is squeezed the water is expelled.  If a sponge is not in the vicinity of fluids it eventually dries out and all the squeezing in the world will not produce a drop of liquid.

In our Christian life, God wishes us to be spiritual sponges, absorbing waters of wisdom (God’s word) and liquids of grace (Christ’s characteristics).   When the pressures in life give us a squeeze, wisdom and grace should flow out to form rivers of living water to sustain those around us.  However, if we have been too busy to absorb spiritual fluids (study God’s Word), when pressure gives us the squeeze it will soon be evident to everyone that we are a dry sponge with no grace or wisdom residing within us. 

An Impenetrable Fortress

In the ancient world, a fortress was built to give soldiers the battle’s advantage by keeping them safely out of their enemy’s reach.  When attacked, it would be senseless for soldiers to have a fortress yet choose to fight outside its walls.

Whether we like it or not, a spiritual war is raging.  God has built us an impenetrable fortress. The walls are His impregnable promises.  He commands from within and offers a spiritual suit of armour for each of His Christian soldiers.  Yet often, when the enemy is not in sight, we don’t feel the need to remain vigilant.  We ignore God’s commands, take off our armour and walk naked from the fortress in search of personal gratification – usually, straight into an ambush.  
Armed only with our own resources, it isn’t long before we are completely subdued and sustain many injures of disillusionment, misery, doubt, depression, worry, jealousy, bitterness, fear and hatred.  We then typically run back to God’s fortress crying, ‘I was attacked, why didn’t You help me?’   God’s answer is always the same, ‘Soldier, you forsook My protection and left My fortress.  You chose to go alone into Life’s Battlefield.  It was you who deserted your post – I have remained at mine.’  The Gates of Grace will then open.  ‘Quickly, get back behind My walls, put on your armour and pick up your sword.’

Working Side By Side

Parents know how hard it is to get their children to help around the house.  On rare occasions when a child helps out with a happy heart, it is pure delight to the parent.  But when the child is uncooperative and works with a sulky, moody attitude, or out of guilt - it brings no pleasure at all.  Most of the time, it is easier for the parents to do the work themselves. Yet, in so doing, they deprive their children of the opportunity to improve themselves.   Also, when people voluntarily work side by side it brings them closer in their relationship.  When you work with someone, you truly get to know them.

God doesn’t really need our help in the ‘Kitchen of Life’.  We may think He does, but God is all-powerful and we only get in His way.  We are like little children – when we help, God usually has to tidy up after our tidy up.  No matter how good we think we are, we generally make a horrible mess of things.  With this in mind we should seriously consider: if we are not helping out with a happy heart – why are we helping at all?  If we aren’t freely giving – why are we giving at all?  Working with the wrong attitude or from feelings of guilt, brings no pleasure to God. He has given us an amazing opportunity to be part of His work, and in so doing we begin to know Him better.  God knows that nothing brings two people closer than voluntarily working side-by-side.

Marksmen

A marksman is defined as one skilled in accurate shooting – a person who shoots with great skill.

We are all marksmen, each aiming at our own goals and objectives.  Some people are better at hitting their mark than others.
As marksmen, we can go through life shooting at our own targets (sometimes hitting and sometimes missing) - or we have the choice of handing our arrows to God.
When God starts overshooting our targets, we can’t be blamed to think He has missed the mark.  But God is a perfect marksman and never misses.  Someday, we will come to realise He was never aiming at our target - but a target far beyond our range of vision.  As we pass it, we will see God hit the target squarely in the centre.
Mankind is often too near-sighted to see the targets of an eternal God.  Sometimes our arrows (purpose in life) will hit the mark (bare fruit) long after we are dead.  On handing our arrows to God we should keep in mind that just because we can’t see where God sent our arrow, doesn’t mean He didn’t hit the target.

Missing the Boat

A naval ship’s purpose is to serve and bring glory to king and country.  In order to do this, every ship needs to be manned by a captain and a crew.  Each person has their own specific and individual duties that are necessary for the ship’s daily function.  The ship’s effectiveness will be determined by the captain’s focus, leadership and preparedness and the crew’s training, eagerness and dedication.  Ships fail to reach their objectives when captained by a man seeking personal glory, or occupied by a mutinous crew.  Every ship is given missions for the glory of king and country.  Some will be accomplished solo and some missions as part of the fleet.  The ships that successfully complete their missions, great rewards and decorations await them on their return home.

A church is like a ship of the navy.  Its purpose is to serve and bring glory to God in Heaven.
God has commanded us to board one of His ships and become a member of the crew (we are directed to find a church that is fulfilling its spiritual missions and use our spiritual gifts to help that ship reach its objectives).  There will come a day, when we are in Heaven, where everyone is applauding the successful missions of certain ships (churches).  Let’s make sure, that we aren’t one of the regretful people, saying, ‘I could have been aboard that ship and been part of their successful spiritual assignments.  But alas, I didn’t want to get my feet wet or risk leaving the comfort and safety of the harbour.’

Building an Ark

For 120 years Noah built the ark.  For 120 years Noah was ridiculed for building the ark.  From the publics perspective it was an immensely stupid undertaking. Only with the arrival of the flood did people stop considering Noah a fool and fearfully recognise his years of faith were justified.

As Christians, God will reveal to us personal undertakings that make as much sense as building an ark in a desert.  We may receive a splendid vision of ‘what-could-be’ and inexplicably know how to achieve it.  It may be a call to ministry, an irresistible urge to be a missionary, or something entirely individual like Eric Liddell running in the Olympics or C.S. Lewis writing a book.  Often, no one else will see the sense in what we are doing and it will be a great test of faith to remain true to that ‘still small voice’.  When we start to listen to the many voices of ridicule and stop, the world wins another victory.  But as with Noah, we must persevere and let God defend us.  Only when it starts to rain will the voices of ridicule see that our years of faith have been well justified.

A Fairytale Life

In essence, fairytales are sad stories that miraculously reach a happy ending.  In between the heartbreak and the happy ending, the hero or heroine must endure many hardships and obstacles. In a fairytale, every character is written in with a purpose.  For Cinderella the wicked-stepmother is there to test and the fairy-godmother is there to encourage. There are also many minor roles, like the carriage driver, simply ‘written in’ to aid the main characters to reach their ‘happily ever after’.  However, what if Cinderella gave up half way through her story and became disillusioned by all the unfair treatment of her wicked-stepmother?  What if she was so filled with hate she told her fairy-godmother to take a hike in her pumpkin?  If that happened, Cinderella would have failed her own fairytale and never met her prince. 

God has made us the centre character in our own fairytale.  He has told us that a ‘happily-ever-after’ waits for each of us, however there will be many hardships and obstacles to first overcome (but isn’t this what makes a tale worth reading?).  We must also understand that every person in our lives has a purpose.  God does not ‘write in’ someone without reason.  Some people are with us for only a page, while others are there from start to finish.  Some will be there to encourage, while others will be there to test.  Like the main characters in a fairytale, we must not give up - even through the darkest chapters.  We must preserve to the end – only then will it all make sense.
Furthermore, we must ask ourselves, what is the part we’re playing in other people’s stories?  Are we an encouraging fairy-godmother or are we a discouraging wicked-stepmother?

Happily Ever After

A fairytale normally concludes with ‘… and they lived happily ever after’.  The reader is left to assume that the main characters live blissfully problem free to the end of their days.

God has said, for those who have believed in Christ, their ‘happily-ever-after’ begins when they die.  So we can conclude that while we are still alive, we remain in the centre of our own personal fairytale - filled with adventure and misadventure, heroes and villains, victories and failures, trials and tests.
We may retire from work, but we should not retire from God’s story for our life.  Every moment we are alive is a sign that there is more to be written, more to overcome, more to learn and more to accomplish.  We can rest assured that God knows the perfect time to finish our tale.  For those in Christ, it will always end, ‘…and they DIED happily-ever-after’.