A new semester, a new year. I recently mentally organized my goals for this semester. They were simple, clean cut, attainable, and realistic. For example, get in shape, get good grades, prioritize time well, make the most of every day, stay emotionally healthy, make new friends. How quaint of me. Subconsciously my goal was to control, keep my hands on everything I could, stay organized and alert, be fully in charge of my life. Make it through without falling apart, play it safe and be a good college student.
Then, as I was reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. While I have been a bit underwhelmed by the book as a whole, I was kicked-back by his words concerning the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives (the forgotten God).
"When Jesus calls us to take up our cross, He is doing much more than calling us to endure the daily circumstantial troubles in life-He is calling us to be willing to suffer anything and forsake everything for the sake of the gospel. His call is to consider everything a loss for His sake. His call is for total surrender."
How the hell did I get here? Bending my knee, praying to the God of the Universe, to keep me safe, out of harms way, and academically successful in a university. GARBAGE! Where in the bible are we called to routine, predictability, or a life comfort?
Abandon, surrender, obedience, radical. Are these words in our prayers? Do we pray for the Holy Spirit to rock our worlds, to shake our faith, to change lives, to break the norm, work miracles, save His people?! Or do we ask for sleep, better grades, less stress, a nice person to date.
There is a world full of sin hurt, and desperately in need of a Savior, and I don't know about you, but I want to be apart of it. Sign me up, I'm all in. No more of this playing it safe.
What would happen if we simply asked for a challenge, a mountain to climb, an adventure unknown, a radical and unpredictable life. I have a feeling, He just might give it to you. The Holy spirit is real, active, moving and powerful...how easily I forget.
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