Jump first and ask questions later

My dad didn’t spend a tremendous amount of time teaching me lifelong lessons, but the ones he did teach I’ll never forget. One lesson came at a pivotal part of my childhood when he bought my brother and me dirt bikes (it was pivotal to me). I remember being so excited to try it out, but before he would even give me my helmet he put the owner’s manual in my hand and told me to read it from cover to cover. I read every single page before I went to sleep that very night.

Over time, I’ve noticed that our culture really doesn’t like owner’s manuals. When you bought something even 10 years ago it included a nice booklet with instructions and other pertinent information to help you “get the most out of your product”. Now it seems that all you get are a bunch of ads and, if you are lucky, an installation disc. There has been a shift from “learn how to do something then do it” to “just start doing it and figure it out as you go”. The question I continually ask myself is “is this true of my spiritual life our well, and if so, is that okay?” So far, it seems that the answer is two-fold.

First, our relationship with Christ is dynamic and not scripted. Some days I feel as if I know exactly what the Lord wants me to do, and others I find myself with more questions than answers. In this sense, my life in Christ is not a book. It is a relationship. On the other hand, the big picture of my relationship with God is a little different. It includes “why” I follow, and “how far” I am willing to follow. As a result it is much less dynamic because it is not like buying a dirt bike, or a tv, or a car. Instead, it is more like considering marriage or having a child. It’s a big decision and not one we should make lightly. Luke 14 tells us be extremely careful, to consider the cost of following Christ, because we must be prepared to give up everything.

You are about to embark on something amazing...

In laymen’s terms then, I think that the gospel of Luke has the same lesson as my dad had for me. You are about to embark on something amazing as you ride the dirt bike of God’s faith, but you need to know what you are getting in to so you don’t end up in the hospital, or worse, a ditch somewhere. This week we continue to study Gideon in our lifegroups and our “I am Jesus” series on Sunday to understand just what awaits those who understand who they are following. Jesus is His Name, but there is much more to see for those who are willing to dig deeper in our service of Him.

-Devin & Sarah