Living Life on Adventure

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.   I Corinthians 2:14 NIV

Living a Year of Radical Amazement (see last week’s blog) enviably leads toward living a life of exciting adventure. The adventure was exactly what one little Roomba in Georgia decided it needed after a front door was left open. Georgia resident Shelley Betz told a CNN reporter that their little Roomba couldn’t be found and after an exhaustive two-day search her husband found the little vac in a pile of leaves about 10 yards from their front door. Had it not been for the ever-vigilant Ring Door camera, the escape might have gone undetected until spring.

Betz told the network, “The family had been putting up Christmas decorations when the robot escaped. The Roomba lost its padding and brushes during its escape, but it still works.” Betz went on to say, “He did his job. He did what he was born to do!”

Can you imagine the stories this little Roomba would have if it could only talk? Stories of the world outside its front door from its 10 yards of adventure. The imaginary Roomba stories would pale in comparison to the real-life stories we get to live out and tell. As we live in radical amazement our world opens up to living a life of adventure. “Adventure is defined as an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity. This is exactly what many biblical figures underwent as they were called upon to go into the unknown in the work of God. Our life can be an adventure in the service of righteousness, facing the adversity and evils of the world.” (from Bible Study Tools)

Adventure may take you scaling high mountain ranges, exploring exotic places, trekking through jungles or it may find you sitting in your chair crying out to God. Adventure isn’t necessarily defined by distance but by the stirring of amazement within the soul. Matthew gives us the inside story of a group of scholars, better known as the Magi or Wise Men, who out of radical amazement, set out on an incredible adventure of faith.

God stirred within the Magi this radical amazement to ask questions, to seek answers, and to set out on a journey to discover the meaning of the star. Epiphany, celebrated last Saturday among many streams of the Christian faith worldwide, marks the day on religious calendars when the Magi found and worshipped baby Jesus in Bethlehem.  Now you can put your Wise Men into your Nativity displays!

Reflecting upon the Magi during Epiphany allows us to focus on the main characters of Matthew’s account. (Matthew 2:1-18) King Herod was disturbed, the religious leaders were clueless and the Magi worshipped.

King Herod and the political elite had long lost any sense of amazement that would stir in their souls the great adventure of faith. They were concerned with maintaining their positions of power. When King Herod heard about the baby’s birth, Matthew records, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him.”

The Religious Leaders had long lost any sense of amazement that would stir in their souls the great adventure of faith. They had the appropriate knowledge that should have propelled them into the great adventure of finding Jesus but they missed the moment. The problem was they liked their status of influence and power better than going on a great adventure of faith to find the Messiah.

A group of outsiders hadn’t lost any sense of amazement and let it stir in their souls the great adventure of faith. The Magi saw the star and made the effort to find the truth and meaning of the star. Where would the star lead them? What would they find at the end of the journey? They only knew they had to go on this great adventure of faith. After a grueling journey, “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.” (Matt 2:10-11)

J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan adventures have been told and retold multiple times. Yet his one quote sums up his stories well, “To live will be an awfully big adventure.” What great adventure awaits you out of your radical amazement this year?

Your great adventure may come from being asked to do what you think is impossible. Moses surely thought that when faced with certain death, God said, “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” (Ex 14:16)

Your great adventure may come when you look into your giant’s face. Facing your giant will require more than you’ve got but not with God. “I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty.” (1 Samuel 17:45)

Your great adventure will begin when you move into the deep waters. It could be out the front door or around the world. Like Peter, we listen and obey. “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4)

Jeremiah’s words were given to a people when life looked dark and hopeless in their captivity. Yet the same truth written by Jeremiah can still stir in you the great adventure of faith because of Who is guiding the journey.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Jesus, I approach You with the reverence of the Magi. I come to worship my King. Open my eyes to perceive with amazement the world around me, realign my mind to believe You will take care of the impossible and reawaken in my heart the great adventure You have set before me.

God is great!