Recently I’ve been reflecting on the stunning passage of Scripture where Jesus tells some fishermen in Galilee, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Captivated by this teacher and miracle-worker—later revealed as the Son of God—these men “immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
Think of how radical their response was. Without protesting or asking questions, they each left their livelihood in order to pursue an uncertain future as a follower of Jesus.
You see, right from the beginning, the Christian life was meant to be a GREAT ADVENTURE. But let’s be honest: Many of us who follow Jesus today have settled for a humdrum, risk-free brand of discipleship. Instead of being a great adventure, our lives could be described as a GREAT YAWN.
You’ve probably heard the principle: No risk, no reward. And often the greater the risk, the greater the potential reward.
Yet when was the last time you took a true step of faith in following Christ—some kind of action that would really cost you something if you got it wrong?
Well…a series of events, some expected and some not, have come together recently to propel me once again toward a more adventurous Christian life:
- My landlord decided to sell her house instead of renew my lease when it expired at the end of April.
- My daughter Abbie and her husband Hamish had my first grandbaby a few weeks ago, all the way in New Zealand.
- Hearing my initial plan to visit Abbie for about 10 days, my awesome boss suggested I take a longer period—even a month or two—“to figure out what God wants to do with the rest of my life.”
- Once again, my initial plan changed when I set out to find a new place to live after my sabbatical. Although I looked at several houses and apartments, I haven’t sensed peace about any of them at this point. So…believe it or not, I’ve moved everything I own into storage until I return. My only mailing address is a box at the UPS Store: 9789 Charlotte Hwy, Ste 400 #221, Fort Mill, SC 29707!
Right now I’m scheduled to be back in my office at Inspiration Ministries on June 19, but that’s about all I know at the moment.
When I tell people about this season of new adventures in my life, they nearly all respond, “Wow, Jim. That’s really exciting!”
Yes, it IS really exciting. But it’s also a bit scary! It’s like jumping out of an airplane and hoping your parachute will work.
I’m looking for people to join me in the GREAT ADVENTURE. Of course, I would value your prayers, and I would love to have you click this link to make a special donation to Crosslink Ministries: http://smplfy.cm/2pJozpo
But even more than that, I invite you to join me in the fantastic adventure of drawing near to God and listening for His instructions for your life. Rediscover what it means to trust the Lord and let go of the things of this world.
Genuine faith is exhilarating…FUN! But it’s surely no fun being in a rut and sleepwalking through life.
The Bible says God has an open door for you, and He’s beckoning you to enter in: “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1-2). Will you heed the call?
Safe travels on your great adventure, Jim! Praying that God will give you much needed rest and amazing clarity and send of purpose while you are gone. We are missing you already!
Wow! What an awesome opportunity the Lord is giving you. I’ll gladly be your prayer partner through this journey.
Jim, you are an inspiration! Thank you for showing us God’s Light and taking courage to step out in faith. You pave the way for many of us to be courageous in our faith, too.
Your great adventure indeed! And a such a beautiful blog! Its crazy when you think about if we really are living the fullest life that God called us to? I think this is great! I wish you the very best and pray for God to softly speak to you! We’ll be praying for you too here!
Have a great trip!
Katrina
Welcome to walking by faith. I don’t suppose it was any easier for the heroes of faith of Heb. Ch. 11. It’s one thing to read about faith, and even to teach about it, but it’s entirely different when you’re walking it out in your own life. God is also trying my faith in similar ways. He brings us to the absolute end of a chapter in our lives where we have no choice but to trust Him with the impossible. I have every confidence that you’ll come through this trial as pure gold, reflecting the image of the Master.
Jim,
I guess when you boil life down, it is really all about faith isn’t it? I’m glad that you have had time to process, let go of, pick up, and share what your faith looks like to us, your readers. You have blessed us all -as we process and examine our own unique spaces in this universe and journey with a loving and all knowing God. Keep sharing–you are inspirational and thought provoking. Jesus never leaves us, nor forsakes us. Many blessings, Jim,
Shelley (Bernard’s sister)
Thanks for your encouraging note, Shelley. Bernard is one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met, always finding a way to help me see the positive, when I’m much too prone to dwell on the negative.