The web site Dorthy.com polled more than 2,000 people last November to see how people make promises before the New Year and how they keep them (or not) as the case may be. While women are more likely to make New Year's resolutions (74% versus 58% for men), they are less likely to actually keep them (14% versus 22% of men). Something to cheer about guys! However, before you get too excited, the combined numbers for people keeping their resolutions is 66% of people make them but only 17% keep them! Yesterday I wondered out loud what it would be like if each of us in the Crosspointe family made one simple resolution for the new year: to passionately pursue God in a year of adventure. What often holds us back from that kind of passionate pursuit of God are the cages we build or are built around us. Cages whose safety and predictability we've become comfortable with yet don't satisfy us. Many of us are flat out bored with our faith! As caged Christians we long for more but we settle for something far less than the adventure of true followership.
I left you with several questions as we ended Sunday. I'm hoping that some of you will dive in and share your response to some of these questions or the topic as a whole. Why do we often choose the safety and predictability of the cage over the adventure God has destined for us? Do you ever wonder if you live as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death? Right now, where are you on the spectrum of playing it safe or living dangerously for God?
Next week, I look forward to hearing your stories of responsible irresponsibility!
2 comments:
Cool question by the way…..
You could possibly also argue that society possibly puts them in a zoo also with the constant observations of them. Don’t know that might be a stretch. Haven’t thought that one through all the way.
Hmm or yes…the zoo is the “Church” and we take them out of their natural habitat to protect them from the wild.
Hmm…what is the purpose of a zoo? Is it to protect the animals? Or is it for entertainment value for the people?
Or maybe the people visiting the zoo are the Christians, and the ones in the zoo are the sinners. Could look at it as stereo typing of types of sinners. “Come see the adulterer!” Or, we feel that the sinners are only safe to interact until after they have been brought into the Zoo/Church. You wouldn’t want to interact with them in their natural environment. It might not be safe. A controlled environment is much safer.
Eh, ramblings…
Dan
My cage is lined with shards of burn-out. In my years of church involvement, I've not really connected with my "fist on the table" place of passion, and I'm convinced that when you work outside of that place, you eventually burn out, becoming reticent in trying those things again.
The series is quite timely for me- I'm just finishing a book entitled, "Discerning your Spiritual Gifts" by Lloyd Edwards. He gives a very level-headed, practical approach to the subject, pointing people to discover and then use their personal giftedness for the purpose of reconciling the world to God. He sites a quote from Frederick Buechner that really hit me: "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." I love that.
Edwards gives great insight on practical ways to discover that place, like considering the character traits of your heroes, your past meaningful and fulfilling experiences, and even looks at your areas of woundedness, and how the Lord uses your unique experiences and abilities to reach people for Him.
Book report aside, a workshop or small group focus on this subject at the end of this series for the "equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12) might be a useful way to launch the adventure.
Or, we could just start a community foosball league... :)
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