Let's Get Dangerous

Today as the children and I were doing our Art History study on Fra Angelico, an Italian artist, we read the following. I thought it went along great with what we have been reading and discussing over the past few months, so I thought I would share it with all of you.

"Have you considered My servant Job, that there is non like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?"  Job 1:8  

"There is much more to being a Christian than simply being a Christian, just like there is more to being in God's will.  God has several "wills".  One of these wills is where fallen, unredeemed people are.  It is God's will that man/woman have freedom of choice.  When people chose to live apart from God, this is the will that is void of God and out of His will.  Then, there is being in His permissive will which means that, even though one may be a Christian, he does not show much love for God as evidence by his lifestyle.  He has established other priorities and has not offered up his body as "a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God."  Finally, there is the third category, God's most pleasing and perfect will.  This is a much smaller group of Christians, ones who seek God with all their heart, striving to walk in His holiness and righteousness, presenting their bodies as living sacrifices."

As a I read this I wondered were I fell.  There are areas of my life that I KNOW I am in God's permissive will.  I don't want to endure what I know Christ wants me to endure because, quite frankly, I don't want to endure the difficulties and hardships it may bring.  I want to avoid the mess.  I desire to surrender these areas but fear, doubt, or just plain selfishness keeps me from doing that.  I KNOW that I am His child, I KNOW that He loves me, but I also know He wants me to trust Him more and step out into His will even more, even if it means it is hard, messy, scary, and even dangerous.  Please pray for me as this battle wages war inside of me.  Pray I will step out of God's permissive will and into God's perfect will.  Pray I will be brave and dangerous for the gospel of Christ.

So, I ask you…where are you?  Are you a Christian living in God's permissive will?  Not willing to give up your luxuries and desires out of fear, doubt, or selfishness?  Are you comfortable there or do you desire more?  Do you "fear God" or do your fear the economy, the opinions of others, failure, emotional or physical pain, or even death?  Do you "shun evil" or do you participate in things our culture says are ok but are not "holy and blameless" in God's eyes?  The Christian life was never meant to be safe, we were never meant to look at the cares of this world and let that drive us in our pursuits.  We were meant to live trusting God and we were meant to live dangerously.  Christ lived dangerously, His disciples did, people throughout history have, and people now still do, and that is why the gospel will continue to advance until Jesus' return.  

Let's get dangerous! (And by dangerous, I do not mean careless) ; )