Dangerous for Good, Part 1: OrientationSample

Reoriented

We have lost a lot of things on life’s journey … specifically: who we are, where we are, and the good that God is up to in our lives. When any or all of these components of life’s journey get lost, it shows. Oh, we might try to cover it up or declare with a shaky confidence: “I’m all right. It’s just a flesh wound.”

I believe that most people live disoriented lives. The overarching reason is that we have underestimated everything. We’ve underestimated our value and worth. We’ve underestimated the villain in our story and just how real evil is. We have misunderstood and underestimated the great God who is the hero in our story. And we have little or no clue as to how His Kingdom operates here and now. We’ve underestimated all the characters and all the themes of not only our own story but the Larger Story that our story has been dropped into.

We can see the sad effects of our overarching underestimation. Simply take a look around. It’s killing us. Consider all the confusion, suffering, discomfort and inconvenience we seem to live with every day. We settle for this rather than the joy, happiness, peace and rest our hearts long for, which seem to be at the top of God’s promised benefit package.

Is there really Abundant Life?

Where? When? Why is there such a discrepancy between the life that we long for and the life we settle for? Why is one the usual and the other the occasional exception?

In the story of God, the work of Christ was not merely to die for our sins—though that is a very good thing, as far as the East is from the West. The offer of God by the work of Christ is far more than just forgiveness. It is Life. An abundant, full, and super-sized Life! God desires something for our hearts and lives that is significantly more expansive than forgiving us and sending us on our way.

Far too many Christians believe that the offer of God is only some great pardon, accompanied by a heavy-handed rule book for our time of parole, all in an attempt to make sure we don’t do it again or else! Yes, the cross and forgiveness are great things, significant things to be sure, but if that is what the Gospel has been reduced to, then we have settled for a gospel that is too small. And when we settle, the oriented life is compromised and instead of being dangerous for good, we just try to not sin.

The cross is just a part of the whole story. Now, I can just imagine the raised eyebrows… Good. I’ve got your attention. Look at it this way; forgiveness is the beginning, the toll booth, and God pays the toll so we can move forward on the road to more Love, more Life, and more Freedom. We’re not to stay parked at the toll booth. The cross is how we can now enjoy what we were made for, the Life and Love of God. The payment made, so we can join Him on the great adventure of Life. The Life that is now, and the Life that awaits us. Can you imagine what it would be like to be rescued, healed, restored, and turned loose to be fully alive? That is what dangerous for good is all about! And now on a great mission, in a grand partnership, with God.

In the next few days, I want to offer encouragement and guidance for the glorious things that come next. Think of it as a forecast of the further up and further in. After the initial search and rescue of our hearts comes something so beautiful and so wonderful a couple of devotionals won’t do it justice. But these devotionals can spur us on and give us the awareness and orientation we need to participate and partner with God in His great recovery and restoration of our lives.

As you ponder all this with God today, consider asking Him:

Father, I don’t want to underestimate you, my life, the enemy, or the Larger Story my story is in… what are the ways I have settled for simple, manageable, or been disoriented?

Jesus, in what way have I settled for lingering at the toll booth of forgiveness? How would seeing your offer of more shape my orientation and invite me to become more?

Spirit, I want to become dangerous for good and invite you to show me a life beyond forgiveness to a life fully alive … what are the first steps in my journey to more love, life, and freedom?