You just can’t be around them.  It causes harm to everything around you.  Even the ones you love the most.

SPOILER!!!!

You know what’s wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You’re chicken, you’ve got no guts. You’re afraid to stick out your chin and say, “Okay, life’s a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that’s the only chance anybody’s got for real happiness.” You call yourself a free spirit, a “wild thing,” and you’re terrified somebody’s gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you’re already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it’s not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It’s wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.

- Paul Varjak

This is an excerpt from the book, “Radical”, and the section is called, “I am not called”.

Indeed, Jesus himself has not merely called us to go to all nations; he has created us and commanded us to go to all nations.  We have taken this command, though, and reduced it to a calling - something that only a few people receive.

I find it interesting that we don’t do this with other words from Jesus.  We take Jesus’ commands in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations, and we say “That means other people.”  But we look at Jesus’ command in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” and we say, “Now, that means me.”  We take Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8 that the Spirit will lead us to the ends of the earth, and we say, “That means some people.”  But we take Jesus’ promise in John 10:10 that we will have abundant life, and we say, “That means me.”

Now reflect on your own walk with God.  Most of us can relate to this.  I know I definitely can relate to this.  I always viewed “foreign” missions as something only HARDCORE missionaries do.  I thought the rest of us were called to serve our neighborhood, our local community.  But Jesus’ command was to go make disciples of ALL nations.  It was a COMMAND, not an option.

I don’t think God calls ALL of us to leave our homes, but if home is where you’ll fall into the trap of complacency you should think twice about if that’s where God really wants you to serve.

Trouble yourself.  Go, seek God, and go where He’s going.

We live in such a comfortable lifestyle that we don’t want to get out of.  ”Why would anyone think about leaving this comfortable life, and go to places where people are suffering?  Those jobs are for the missionaries, we’re called to do something else, to gain influence in the eyes of the world so that we can glorify God.  I’m going to passively help those who are suffering by supporting the missionaries.  Then God will be glorified.”

By thinking this, you have spat in God’s face.

God’s called EVERY single one of us to be His disciples.  He calls us to go out and to make disciples of all nations.  What makes you think that God needs your riches and fame to bring HIS glory to HIS people?  You are belittling God’s powers and you know what I don’t think you’re serving the God that I serve.  My God used Moses, a stuttering coward to lead an entire people out of slavery.  My God used Gideon, a coward who doubted God’s powers to defeat millions of Midianites with 300 Israelites.  My God sent 3 boys into a fiery furnace, not to burn, but to show the king the awesome powers of God.  My God sent His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to die for the entire human race and to face the heavenly wrath for ALL our sins.

My God, who can do ALL of that doesn’t need your riches and your fame.

Luke 9:57 - 62 shows what Jesus requires of His followers.  He requires that you don’t look back, that you leave all that is from the world with the world, that you only look forward, to what’s ahead and where God is going.

Matthew 10 calls us to devote all we have and to put all the trust we have in God.  God will lead us and God alone will save us, and God alone will bring glory to His name.

So I challenge you, walk down that narrow path of righteousness.  Ask God for desperation.  Don’t settle for the goals that the world has put down for you.  All the riches of this world cannot save a soul.  I hope you don’t take this as a discouragement.  It’s a challenge for you to live a life that Jesus really called you to live.  My only fear in life is this:

Matthew 7:21-23

“²¹ ”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demonsin your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me,you workers of lawlessness.’