Complacent

A couple weeks ago, I embarked on a backpacking adventure to Iceland. For four days, I hiked the Landmannalaugar trail. The scenery was breathtaking. The weather was perfect. “Not too cold, not too hot. All you need is a light jacket” (If you guess where this quote is from you win! I don’t know what you win, but I’ll find something…).

I felt so adventurous as I crossed and jumped over rivers (I now have a love/hate relationship with rivers due to this trip), quickly set up a tent in the rain and snow, ascended and descended high mountain tops, and rehydrated meals with a little fuel tank and some boiling water. I was unstoppable! I felt amazing! I felt like a new person.

Now see here; when you venture out into the Icelandic wilderness with 30 pounds on your back and hike between 7 and 10 miles a day, your mind starts to race.

My mind would not stop spinning especially about the glory of God and His will for my life.

As I stood on top of a hill and scanned the landscape, I could not help but praise God. The scenery was amazing and to know He created this was absolutely astounding! I could also not help but think about the lives of the people of Iceland and of those in other parts of the world. Do they know Christ? Have they heard of Him? Is there someone who can speak to them about the love and mercy of our Lord? Then my questions shifted…

“Can I be that person to speak to them about the love and mercy of our Lord?”

“Can I be the voice proclaiming the Gospel?”

“Can I go and be a witness and light to others?”

These questions soon became my prayer for the rest of the trip. I began to pray for clarity for the plans God has for my life. I began to pray on how I can witness to my community and to other countries.

I am now back at work and feel complacent. I feel annoyed. I feel bored. I am tired of feeling safe. I am tired of working at a job where I have to walk on eggshells because of how the employees and employers are connected. I want to go out and not be afraid to share my faith. I want to go out and be a light in the darkness.

I have been listening to different sermons from Francis Chan and the fire for preaching the Gospel is blazing. In one of Chan’s sermons, he talks about how American Christians get caught up in living a “safe” life. We only hang out with others who are Christians, we won’t go to certain events unless they are Christian-based, and so on and so on. We get caught up in what our church building looks like, how good the band is, if there is a cool light show, and how many people are in attendance. What Chan says next is the cherry on top. Now here you go. Are you ready?

God did not call us to live a SAFE life.

God did not call us to only stick with fellow believers. God did not call us to sit in a building with thousands of people as the lights are flashing with an awesome slideshow and the band singing Hillsong’s “Oceans”. God called us to go. Go. Go and make disciples. Go and spread the good news. Go into the world and proclaim His name.

Now I am not saying not to hang out with your Christian friends. I am not saying to not attend church and be fed. I am not saying that your church is bad if it has a light show and has a band that sings “Oceans”. I am not saying to be of the world. I am simply saying to go.

I know it is not easy to be a Christ-follower. Our lives have been radically changed forever. We want everyone to know about the love of God; yet, when we open our mouths, we get judged. People don’t want to listen to you. People start to look at you differently, especially in the Bay Area, which is the most un-churched area in the Nation.

In all of America, the Bay Area reigns supreme as the most anti-God community. The minute I mention that I am a believer, the look on people’s faces resemble the face of a baby that has tried a piece of a lemon for the first time. Mentioning my faith in God equals to an obscene comment or gesture in the Bay. Funny how an area that heavily promotes love, equality, and acceptance, doesn’t really show love or acceptance to all people. Yet, we can’t let that un-acceptance and the judgment stop us…

Being a Christian, a Christ-follower, means that your life is changed forever.

It’s changed in a glorious way. We have experienced how glorious Christ is and it is time to share that with others. Whether it is something simple or extravagant, local or global, the message of the Gospel must be told to our communities. We must go.