Aug 16 2008
summit: to make you brave
This will be my last post inspired by Gary Haugen’s session. It deserves more but I also want to move on through the summit.
Gary connected his call to share the interests of Jesus with the admonition to lead in areas that are hopeless, dangerous, and hard by invoking the following great quote, “Jesus did not come to make you safe, he came to make you brave.”
I found myself needing to just ponder that truth. This is such an easy mistake to make. I am consistently surprised by how easily I forget why Jesus came. I forget that Jesus came to do anything more than round up a bunch of people for heaven. When I am asked, why Jesus came, I know the full answer but I forget. I forget that it is not enough to remember all that I am saved from. I must remember that I am saved for something. Jesus did not come to make me comfortable or happy or any nice thing I might want. Jesus came so that I might be godly, and whole and live out the purposes of God in my life. I have to remind myself every day, God never blesses people for their own sake, but only so that they might bless others. I am still stuck in a “Prayer of Jabez” worldview (expand my territory) instead of a “Prayer of Jesus” worldview (not my will but thine).
And so I enjoyed thinking about why Jesus came for me. If it was more than for my pleasure but rather for God’s purpose then I need to ask if I have said yes to what Jesus came to give me.
Haugen used a wonderful analogy. He described seeing body-builders at the gym who were huge and dramatically muscular. But he wondered, “Where do they ever use those muscles.” He mused that perhaps they may on occasion have an opportunity to open a jar of jam that no one else could open.
All that great strength. All that potential wasted on preening and the occasional opening of jam jars. Of course he quickly turned this question to me and by extension to you.
He asked, “Are you wasting the great strength that God has given you, opening jam jars?”
I came back from the summit with a lot of new convictions. The strongest of these was this, I plan to try something beyond my strength. I refuse to spend the strength I have on Jam jars.
on the walk
-Ethan
