In between

I subscribe to Seth Godin's blog, but after hearing of his spiritual beliefs, I've mostly demoted him to background noise. But I clicked on the RSS today and read this short entry:

"We're hoping to succeed; we're okay with failure. We just don't want to land in between."

--David Chang

He's serious. Lots of people say this, but few are willing to put themselves at risk, which destroys the likelihood of success and dramatically increases the chance of in between.

This made me wonder, what if Albert Einstein or Mother Teresa had been told not to bother trying because not many people make it to the level of success they ultimately achieved? What if we told our children that reaching for their hearts' desires is too risky because they're statistically likely to fail. What if we didn't need to tell our children that because they see it reflected in our own actions? How many of us are living "in between" -- an uncomfortable place of dissatisfaction and contrived happiness because we're too afraid to have faith in something bigger that seems against the odds? 

The sermon preached at my church this morning was a great reminder of what should motivate us in life, and if we live this lifestyle, truly live it, we'll experience failure and success. That's because, as Ken illustrated with the story of Abraham obeying God in taking Isaac to the alter as a living sacrifice, our life of worship will be: 

* Tried and Tested. (Genesis 22: 1)

* Come with a Cost. (22:2)

* Ordered by Obedience. (22:3,4)

* Fueled by Faith. (22:5-10)

* Secured by God's Sight. (22:11-14)

No, a lifestyle of worship isn't easy. It certainly requires risk but the difference between Godin's illustration and God's story is that Christians can count on faith, because the truth is God WILL provide. Yes, living in between is way too uncomfortable; it means I'm not willing to risk failure and I don't have faith. And that's hardly a life worth living!

Please pray for me as I seek God's voice for a decision in my life. He's calling me to be obedient. Tune in to hear how I respond to God's calling. Big changes (risks) are coming...I hope!