Jean and I hardly ever holiday in the same place twice; we enjoy exploring somewhere new. I am not sure that we should be classed as adventurers, but we are certainly ready to accept the risk that we might not enjoy our next vacation as much as the last. I suppose that the saying ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ is applicable here.
Risks
There are many types of adventure, and various approaches to risk that different people have. Some fit within the extremely risk-averse category, while others may indeed be adventurers who willingly accept the possibility of adverse outcomes in the hope that the opposite happens. Perhaps this has something to do with optimism and pessimism, or maybe our personal sense of security, or general confidence. Whatever our outlook, it is only sensible to weigh the risks and potential benefits before launching out on any adventure.
The auction
There was a very small adventure for me this week. I have long enjoyed buying from house clearance auctions and, after an extended period of not doing so, have located one in a town nearby that I decided to try. Previously, I have always attended these in person, but things have moved on, and it turns out that bidding online is easier than I had thought. Having reviewed the catalogue, I left modest bids on a few items that interested me, and then decided to watch the auction on my PC to see how my bids went, and to get a feel for prices, etc. My bids were not successful, but as the auction progressed, a Lot came up that interested me and which was about to be passed over as unsold – I jumped in and successfully bid the starting price. The adventure continued the next day when we drove over to find the auction premises and collect my bounty, walking away with a bag of assorted items.
Result
It wasn’t until later, when emptying the bag, that I discovered exactly what the Lot included and what condition each piece was in. I was pleased to find that the two items that had prompted me to bid were as I had hoped. But there were several more, including a few that Jean was keen to have and use, and one that is a mystery to us! My adventure had been a success on every count. Of course, things don’t always work out so well when we venture into the unknown, or at least the uncertain. But isn’t life like that generally? I can’t think of any aspect of our lives that we can take as certain, solid and immovable. Surely we have to accept that life itself is an adventure that we may not have chosen, but that lies before us as an opportunity to be grasped.
Fear
It won’t surprise you to know that this is leading up to a consideration of spiritual adventures. Just as life generally entails adventure, the freedom to launch out into something new, so do our spiritual lives, our relationship with God. And, similarly to how some people resist change or venturing into unfamiliar situations, we can get stuck in how things are in our Christian walk. Many people have stayed within the same church community for decades, not because God has been moving there, but because it is familiar and feels safe. Others hang onto theological positions or religious beliefs because that is what they learned initially, and they lack the courage to open themselves up to consideration of alternative views. Change for change’s sake is certainly to be avoided, but so is reticence to change because of fear. Fear is never a good basis for any significant decision that we might take as Christians. See 1 John 4:18; Philippians 4:6,7.
Illustration
Perhaps because of fear of making the wrong decision, as a young man I was determined to seek God’s direction in who to marry. There was a particular girl who attracted me and whom I began to pray about. I did not know her at all well, but enough to respect and admire her. God gave me certain encouragements, and even though she suddenly moved away to study elsewhere, I remained determined to hear from God one way or another. Eventually, I felt led to write and tell her how God had encouraged me concerning her. We arranged to meet up at her friend’s home in London a week later, during which time she explained to me how God had led her and that he had shown her that we would be married when she first set eyes upon me, almost two years previously. We met up that day as virtual strangers and, by the evening, we had an understanding together that we were to become man and wife. Last year, Jean and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary.
Covenant
I have shared this because it illustrates what an adventure with God looks like. At a human level, it can involve big risks, but undertaken hand-in-hand with God, and at his prompting, there is no risk at all – we can always trust him when we are being obedient to his direction and leading. See 1 John 3:21,22.
There are human life adventures that we can embark upon with God, and there are adventures to be had in direct relationship with him. The first, obviously, is our salvation, where we deliberately enter into a covenant relationship through the work that Jesus did in carrying the punishment for our sin when he died on the cross. Through this, we move into a new life, lived in direct relationship with God (2 Corinthians 5:17). However, this is but the start of the journey. We then have to decide whether we will commit to living for God, with Jesus as our Lord, submitting our lives and our choices and decisions to him to lead and guide (Romans 6:4).
Challenge
Throughout our lives as born-again Christians, we are faced with the challenge of adventure. God hasn’t called us to himself simply to exist; his purpose is that we become adventurers with him. This may involve engaging in some form of Christian ministry, but that is secondary to obedience and commitment. We have not been saved from our sins because of any work that God has for us to do, but to embark on a life of obedient adventure. It is our willingness to go on the journey with him that is important, rather than what we might actually be called to do for him.
It may be that you are on a treadmill that is not of God’s making, and that he wants you to trust him and jump off. It may be that you are in a hard situation that you want to leave, but God is saying to you to stay and trust him.
Trust
Trusting God is a challenge to all of us, but trust is just that – believing that he intends blessing for us; that his purpose is good, loving and wholesome, and that he will not simply set us on a path and leave us to it. When we obey him, he is with us for the long haul, all the way, including the challenging times when we need to rely upon him to keep our heads above water.
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