Full Gallop!

If you know me, you know I’m of the sort that thinks that most of us sell The Bible short when it comes to the transforming impact it can have on our lives. On second thought, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe we really don’t sell it short: Maybe we know full well that we should be doing a better job of living out our faith and because of that, we remain reluctant to spend more time in God’s Word so we don’t have to feel as responsible as we cling to our comforts. Sadly, I don’t think we realize the life we forfeit in the name playing it safe and staying where things are familiar. Especially if we’ve ever gotten close and intimate with suffering. Yes, sometimes life not only hands us lemons, it pummels us with them. Afterwards, we proclaim God’s goodness in the fact that we’ve endured and how things could’ve been way worse except God showed us mercy and gave us what we didn’t deserve… But how often, even in light of the truth that God’s providence kept us from failing further, do we only operate at half strength? Again, we become reluctant, not because of comforts but now due to a real fear of experienced discomfort that we wouldn’t wish on anyone.

People say, “When you fall, you just gotta get back up on that horse and continue on.” I think many of us have learned or are in the process of learning that. I am currently VERY familiar with trying to live, healed. Somehow, I have to be careful that I don't associate the pain of my learning experience with a need for an overemphasized caution. If I'm like most, I may get back up on that horse again, but I’ll be keeping things at a trot and I will limit myself from enjoying the exhilarating joy that only comes at a full gallop!

This is a hard one. It’s hard because it’s difficult to find the line between where we rightfully learn from our mistakes and to “try again” smarter AND where we allow fear and disappointment to take up residence and stifle us from real joyful progress even in light of possible and probable harm. I guess only you would know if you’re affected in such ways, and if so, I pray that God would show you not only how to learn, but how to live again.

Here’s The Word

2 Corinthians 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.(25) Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; (26) In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; (27) In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

I can’t even imagine my conversations to God if I’d been publicly beaten twice, let alone 5 times. And THREE shipwrecks? I know people who hear about a shipwreck on TV who would cancel their trip. See what I mean? Truth be told, if we knew a person like Paul, we’d question whether he had it all together. Of course I’m not saying let’s run into the face of certain danger, but my point is this: I think that the prevalence of comfort in our culture causes us to reason and avoid furthering the Gospel if it involves the possibility of discomfort in a way we’re not prepared for.

I’ll close with a little paraphrase I heard from Francis Chan. He was talking about how people kinda thought he was “a little off” as he was giving food to the poor and the question arose if he had enough food for him and his family. They said in essence, it would be crazy if you died of starvation because you gave all your food away – Francis expressed that he understood of course, but countered with “Can you imagine how AWESOME it would be to die and arrive in Heaven because of THAT!?!?” If you’ve heard Francis Chan’s testimony, you know he hasn’t lived a charmed life –he’s experienced some sufferings, some hardships, and some horses he’s had to climb back onto; but listenening to him talk, I see he also knows the joy of life at a full gallop.


In Him,
Cros