Call to Courage
The Lure of Security
Why do we value security so much? The advice that is usually given to teens is to go to school so they can get a good job and have security. The dream of most people is not a pursuit of happiness or fulfillment but it is a pursuit of security.
We value security above just about anything else. We want to be safe and taken care of. We want to be able to retire some day and live off of the preparations that have been made for us.
We must realize that although our world values security more than almost anything else the men and women who shaped our world could care less about it! Whenever you want to do something great you are stepping into the unknown and the unsecure. I find it ironic how many people admire risk takers from the comfort of their own security. We watch the Olympics on TV and applaud them for their discipline as we sit in our overstuffed couches with our overstuffed bodies.
[quote]Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. – Steve Jobs[/quote]
Where would Sir Edmund Hillary be if he was satisfied with the comforts of home. He would have never even ventured far outside his home much less become the first man to ascend Mt Everest. Imagine the exhilaration of reaching the summit of Mt. Everest! It must have been incredible!
Do you think that Sir Edmund Hillary, or any other climber, would be satisfied with staying at base camp? No, of course not! Climbers we not made to stay at base camp! Climbers were made to go to the peak!
Imagine Our World Without Courage
Imagine where our world would be if Jesus or the disciples were concerned with security. Jesus would have probably just stayed being a carpenter and lived in the comfortable Hebrew middle-class, and he certainly wouldn’t have been crucified. Matthew would have stayed a tax collector. Andrew, Peter, James and John would have likely continued as fishermen. None would have changed the world.
In our spiritual journey we are not called to live at base camp. We are called to move up! Jesus is calling us out of our comfort, out of our security to come into the wild. To task a risk.
How would the world around us be different if we valued bravery more than security? Courage more than comfort? Risk more than safety?
[quote] You can choose courage or you can choose comfort but you cannot choose both. – Dr. Brene’ Brown[/quote]
I heard a story about a man bragging to everyone that he had cut the tail off of a man-eating lion. Someone asked him why he didn’t cut off the head. He replied, “Someone else had already done that.” It’s a lot easier to do something when we think it is safe. Doing something that isn’t safe…that takes real courage.
Many people think that courage is the opposite of fear, but it’s not that at all. Courage is moving forward even though we are afraid. It is taking action when we cannot guarantee the outcome. It is risking something to gain something even better.
[quote][1 Corinthians 16:13] Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong.[/quote]
Take a Risk
The greatest triumphs are often preceded by the greatest terrors. Think about the greatest triumph in your life. Was it something that came easy, or with some potential for harm? Great things rarely come easily.
What adventure is God calling you to do? Is he calling you to a life of comfort or a life of courage?
I remember this from your “Risk Takers vs Spectators” series. That was and still is one of my favorite series that you and Pastor Ron did. I frequently go back to my notes on that series. 🙂 Good stuff Judah. Keep it coming.