Confession time: I am scared of heights. There, I said it. I tense up and get ridiculously nervous when I have to get on a roller coaster or fly in an airplane. Some people like taking risks, but I like to think my mentality towards risks reveals that my brain is functioning properly. I mean, I have often wondered what the conversation with God is like for a Christ-follower that bungee jumps from a tall bridge and doesn’t make it. I am not saying their soul is in jeopardy, but don’t you picture God just staring at them with a look on His face like, “Are you serious? You tie a cord to your feet and jump off a bridge hundreds of feet in the air? Is that the most responsible decision?” (insert the guy with a wide-eyed befuddled stare while slowly shaking his head). Maybe it’s just me, but I think hanging out on the ground is much more responsible and logical.
Responsible and logical. Two words that permeate our culture. Two words that saturate our decisions and our planning, and two words often completely at odds with who God is and what He wants to do through us. It is one thing for me to think I am being responsible and logical when my friends jump out of a plane and I give them a high five IF they make it to the ground, but it is another thing altogether when I allow “responsible” and “logical” to be filters by which I make decisions about the direction God is taking me.
I often wonder what God would say to me if He had one day to spend with me. He would certainly point out all of the sin in my life, but one thing in particular I think he would say to me is this…”Frank, you have been deceived by your culture. Your culture teaches you that everything has to make sense. Your culture teaches you to make your decisions through the filters of ‘responsible’ and ‘logical.’ The problem is I can’t work through you as long as those filters are present.” Ouch!
Let’s be real…as soon as things begin to move beyond our own ability and our own understanding, we say no because God can’t be squeezed through our filters. That doesn’t fit in to our five year plan. “God would never ask me to give away that much money. I would not be able to retire. God would never ask me to go to that country. My life would be in danger. God would never ask me to take that job. It makes less money. God would never ask me to leave this city. My parents and my grandparents live here.”
American Christians, you know what scares me to death…I am worried there are thousands and thousands of people that claim to have faith in God, but their faith is actually in themselves. I am worried we have been deceived by the Evil One into thinking God would never call us to do something that appears illogical.
Here is a statement that might cause me to get some e-mails later (just make sure you keep it classy).
If you live your entire life and never make a decision that makes no sense…if you go through your life using “responsible” and “logical” as the filters through which you make decisions about God’s direction for your life…if you live your life without ever making a decision that moves beyond your own ability and understanding, your faith is not in God, IT IS IN YOURSELF.
“God wants me to be responsible and logical” is a mindset bringing about the demise of Christianity in this country. It creates unproductive, self-pleasing Christians and insider-focused churches that are really watered down country clubs. The spread of Christianity is predicated upon moving beyond what you can see and what you can do. The catalyst for the spread of Christianity is men and women who put their body in harm’s way because somebody needs to hear the Gospel. Men and women who view their bank accounts as a method to advance the Kingdom and not to fill their own desires. Without men and women making illogical, irresponsible decisions for God, Christianity is going to die. It can’t spread. It won’t spread. And here’s why…
Without men and women making illogical and irresponsible decisions for the glory of God, we are serving the god of ourselves. That god won’t last. We must stop buying into the lie that God expects everything to make sense. Stop assuming God wants you to make the natural progression through the American life (high school, college, married, house, car, kids, bigger house, nicer car, grandkids, retire, die).
What if Noah refused to proceed unless everything made sense? He would have died. What if Moses refused to return to Egypt unless everything was logical? The Israelites would not have been delivered from the hands of Pharaoh. What about Abraham leaving his homeland? What about David fighting goliath? What about Rahab and the spies? What about the Israelites entering the Promised Land? Jesus and the cross? Saul and the encounter on the Damascus Road? Show me a situation in the Bible where human reasoning and God’s will line up. You will spend a long time digging.
I will leave you with this…I understand making illogical decisions for the glory of God is difficult. But why are these decisions difficult? Because we are scared the scales will not tilt in our favor. We are scared that by taking this “risk” we will lose everything. Believe in this truth…THERE ARE NO RISKS WITH GOD. There is no such thing as taking a “risk” for God because risk implies the opportunity for failure or loss. No chance for loss = no risk. You follow me? There is no risk with God because God can’t fail. If He calls you to do something illogical, and you are sure He has directed you to do it, you can’t fail. You can’t fail because God can’t fail. You might have to re-adjust your perception of a loss and a win, but rest in the reality that when you are on God’s team, you can’t lose. You can’t fail.
It’s time for a re-orientation of responsibility and irresponsibility. Logical and illogical. It’s time for us to stop buying into the culture. It’s time for us to stop using “responsible” and “logical” as filters for God. Sometimes God thinks being responsible is irresponsible, and sometimes God thinks logical is illogical. I am resolved to start being irresponsible and illogical for the glory of God. What about you?
I love you all. To God be the glory forever. Amen!
