Writer Annie Dillard finds most churches to be “safe,” but she wonders why this should be the case. She asks: “Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute?” We call this place of worship a sanctuary, meaning it is a safe place to be. We love safety. And because of this love, most of us never actually put our faith to the test. We have a sanitized, sterilized, weak faith.
Here’s the big question: When did we as Christians get the idea that God calls us to safe places to do the easy things?
Where do you see that in the Bible?
* Abraham was called to leave everything he knew to follow God and was never even told where he would be going.
* Moses was called to go back to the country that wanted him for murder and deliver generations of enslaved people.
* David was called to face Goliath, a shepherd boy, in a life and death battle with a trained and skilled soldier, and,
* Isaiah was called to devote his life to a ministry that by all human accounts appeared to be a failure—called to preach to a people who did not want to hear Him.
So, when did we start thinking that God’s will is an insurance plan, not a daring plan? We live in fear, and we allow that fear to cause us to approach the will of God with a better-safe-than-sorry mentality. We get trapped in a cage of fear and let those fears dictate our decisions; we generally want some guarantee before we are willing to step out in faith! If we think there are risks, we opt for the “tried and true” safe route.
So, when did we start thinking that God’s will is an insurance plan, not a daring plan? We live in fear, and we allow that fear to cause us to approach the will of God with a better-safe-than-sorry mentality. We get trapped in a cage of fear and let those fears dictate our decisions; we generally want some guarantee before we are willing to step out in faith! If we think there are risks, we opt for the “tried and true” safe route.
There is a fascinating account in Matthew’s Gospel, Matthew 16:21-28. Jesus had just quizzed his closest followers about what the word on the street was about Him. They report that some people think He is John the Baptist come back to life, others think He might be Elijah the prophet or Jeremiah, and others aren’t sure who He is, but they agree that He has to be one of the prophets. After hearing these answers, Jesus narrows the question and asks them, “‘ But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?'” (Matthew 16:15) And “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'” (Matthew 16:16).
Jesus didn’t call us to live safe lives; He called us to follow His example. He didn’t die to make us pleasant, safe people whose goal in life is never to rock the boat. He died to make us a radical people who can storm the gates of hell and come away victorious!
So, here is a challenge: quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.
Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life.
Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshiping what’s right with God.
Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Don’t let fear dictate your decisions. Take a flying leap of faith. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Go all-in with God. Go all out for God. Stop playing it safe.