Radical Faith: For Everyone or Just a Few?

On our roadtrip from Illinois to Ohio Candice read one of Brennan Manning's books out loud. With only the intro and Chapter 1 down, I'm already thirsty for more of this book.  It's called The Signature of Jesus and it has me thinking on so many things right now.  Which means this post is going to be a bit of a mess as I am still processing so much.

First of all, I MUST read more.  I used to read a lot and recently have fallen off the book path.  Today just reminded me that there is so much to learn and grow from inside the pages of a good book.

A point Brennan brings up in the intro is that not everyone is made with radical faith.  That giving up our lives to follow Christ is not a desire that each person is made with.  While my first reaction is to claim that ridiculous, I'm seeing that he is definitely on to something.  In YWAM we meet all these people who are not just willing, but DESIRING, a reckless and dangerous life, it's our "norm," so to speak.  In my mind, that is everyone's calling...set apart your life by giving up everything you have to follow Christ.  But is that really how it works?   What about the accountants, waitresses, stay at home moms who all follow God's leading and share God's love with everyone around them through their actions in every day life?  Brennan says that a life of radical faith is a gift from God and that not everyone gets the same gift.  I agree with him to an extent.  Though, I would say it takes radical faith to live a holy (set apart) life no matter what your passions and desires are.

The thought that a radical lifestyle is a gift really puts a new spin on things in my mind.  All the comparing we tend to do is really thrown out the window.  We always get so excited about the people living in Africa taking care of the sick, hurting, and impoverished and then kindly say at the end, "the people at home have a great mission field too..."  just so we don't step on any toes.  But why try to make people comfortable?  Get them uncomfortable!  Tell them that right where they are is a needy place and it's their calling to do something about it!  Lay down all the fears, desires, worries, and everything else that we use as an excuse and there you have a radical life.  Let's get excited about every single person that is daring to follow God's heart!  I want people to get excited about who they are in Christ and the gifts and desires they've been made with!

This brings me to the point I've been thinking about the most.  Am I made for a radical lifestyle?  There's much need for a reassessment here.  For quite a few years now I've desired nothing more than to be in the jungle or travel to the roughest parts of the world to share the love of Christ with everyone I meet.  But have I done that?  I've taken steps that I thought would take me there but what is my real gift here?  I want it to be a radical lifestyle...but could it be the life of a writer?  Writing of all the things God is doing in my heart and around me?  Writing of great adventures that I'm going to take?  Could it be the life of a mother?  The life of a student? A teacher?  Oh there are so many possibilities...whatever lifestyle it is I know one thing, I am dedicated to a radical faith.  Without reliance on God I will fail, fall, stumble, drift, etc. (you get the picture).  My heart is aching to rely so fully on my God and take a leap of faith somewhere...relationship, occupation, school...I can just feel the stirring of something new in my spirit.  My prayer right now is that I would be lovingly obedient to God in the small things so that when the big things come around, I am ready and willing!  (Candice reminded me of that today...what a blessing it is to have her here to talk about life with.)

We're just two "radical" girls longing after His heart.