Christians often talk about living a “radical” life. We hear that when Jesus was on earth, He was radical, and so we get told to be the same, because we are meant to be Christ like. That sounds great and exciting, but in reality, what does that actually mean? What does that look like? Maybe it does conjure up an image of adventure and excitement for you, I know it did for me. Being radical in my understanding, meant being a missionary somewhere far away, always experiencing crazy moments that could only be explained by God, like seeing miracles and people coming to Christ. Now don’t get me wrong, that definitely is radical, but what I’ve been realising lately is that’s not what is at the core of a radical life following Jesus.
Embarking on the World Race I assumed that God would continue that call over my life and nearly as soon as I got back, I’d be off again. Now don’t misunderstand me, I do still believe I’ll most likely be a missionary one day. But the where or what of that, I don’t yet know. However, a few months ago as I started to think about the future, I felt called to apply to a programme that would have had me spending a year living in the UK. That to me, is not radical. It seemed boring, unappealing, and honestly was about bottom of my own list of “what to do next”. I simply wanted more adventure, and for that to be overseas, somewhere new.
However, I’ve been challenged to rethink what radical living actually is. If Jesus was radical, what lesson can I take from His example? Well at the very core of everything Jesus did, was obedience to the Father. Jesus never stepped outside of the calling God had placed on Him. Even when He wanted to, and pleaded with God in the garden of Gethsemane, He still ended up saying “yet not my will but yours”. So maybe radical living is as simple as complete obedience to God, and to whatever He asks of us. That could be living overseas, but it also could be serving in the community you grew up in, or any number of different things.
If we were bold and brave enough to always say yes to God no matter what, to follow Him wherever He calls us, that would be a completely radical and counter cultural way of living life. It is by no means the easy or boring option. It’s probably the hardest. Because saying yes to Gods will, often means laying down our own.
When I applied to this programme, I had to give up my own dream of another years travel. God called me to lay down my own will in order to step into His. I believe He did this not because He wanted to deprive me, but because He wanted to see the condition of my heart. Was I willing to put obedience to Him above my own desires? Or had what I wanted to do become an idol to me? Because anything that I choose over Him has become an idol. We see this when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. This was his beloved son who he had waited so long to have. But God wanted to see if Abraham was still willing to put Him before Isaac. In the end, Abraham didn’t have to sacrifice Isaac, it was enough for God to see that he was willing.
At times I’ve wrestled with my attitude towards this, wondering how Abraham really felt. Because I know when God asked me to lay down my desires, I wasn’t exactly happy about it. But I don’t believe God is asking us not to have emotions about it, it’s ok to be real with Him about how we feel. It’s ok to say to God, I don’t want to do this, because if we choose to do it anyway, it’s still showing that we are placing God first in our lives.
In the end God didn’t ask me to do this programme. Had he kept the door open, I would have walked through (whether I felt happy about it or not!) simply because I have the deepest of trust that my Fathers will is better than my own. I can try and make my own plans, but obedience to Him will always lead me down a better path. So, as it stands right now, I don’t know what is next and am waiting to see what He has for me. Still, I know I don’t have to worry because whatever it is, as I continue to walk closely with the one who guides my steps it’s going to be good.
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps”. Proverbs 16:9
