Are You Living A Great Adventure?

As I have planned for this year and completed my goal-setting process, I have determined that I am going to build on some of my successes from last year. In doing this, I am going to take some bigger risks and go after bigger experiences and results. In a word, I want this year to be an adventure!

What about you? Are you living a great adventure? Or are you just watching (and envying) those who are?

What Is Adventure?

Before I go any further in applying this to our Christian business efforts, let’s take a minute to define what I mean by “adventure” living. One dictionary defines adventure as “an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.”

I want to key in on two words – unusual and hazardous. I believe an adventure is “unusual” because it is something we have never done. There is an “unknown” factor that gets our blood flowing and excites us.

The “hazardous” element is the presence of risk. In an adventure, there is usually risk involved. It may be the risk of injury or the risk of loss. Whatever the case, pairing the risk and the unknown makes for an exciting experience – one that can bring great reward!

God Wants This For Us!

This is what I mean by adventure. This is also what I believe God wants for us in our relationship with Him. I do not think God is looking for those who want to play it safe or avoid all risk. I do not think He wants us clinging to the pew (or anything else!) and living for consistency or monotony.

If we just read His Word, I think we will see that God is looking for those who want an adventure with Him. You can probably name the same examples I can – Abraham was asked to leave his homeland and travel far away without knowing the destination. Noah was called to build a boat without water nearby or rain in the forecast.

Moses was called back to Egypt and then to the wilderness. Peter was called to leave his career and was later called out of the boat. Lazarus was called out of the grave and Zacchaeus was called out of the tree. I could go on, but you get it. In each situation, these people were on an adventure with God. There was the unknown factor and the element of risk in each story!

Elements of Adventure

So, let’s bring it back to you and me today. What great adventure is God calling us to join as we run our businesses? It will be different for each of us, but the same basic elements will be there.

There will be an unknown factor. God is calling us to an adventure, but He is not giving us a detailed map of the journey! He is calling us to accept the unknown and trust His wisdom and guidance. What we CAN know about the journey and the destination – they are worlds better than any plan we could create on our own!

There will also be an element of risk involved. God is not calling us to maintain our grip on everything we own while we “pack” for our trip with Him. He is instead interested in seeing us loosen our grip on everything other than Him. He then wants us to grab hold of Him and not let go – saying “Here I am, send me!”

What Is Your Adventure?

Letting go means we risk losing it all – at least in the short run on this earth. At the same time, I believe He is good for His promises – like 1 Corinthians 3:14, Matthew 6:33, and Luke 6:38. If we completely trust Him to make good on His promises, then in the end, we will see rewards we cannot comprehend – not to mention the adventure between now and then!

Like I said before, the great adventure God wants for you in your business is different from the one He has in mind for me. Your adventure might include going out on your own and starting the business He has placed in your heart. It might mean you stay right where you are, but you quit playing it safe and start taking some risks for His purposes.

4 Simple Steps

I cannot tell you the details of your adventure. I will leave that up to God. What I can do is give you four simple, powerful steps to getting started. If you will follow these steps to the letter, I guarantee you an adventure beyond your imagination!

1.) Get intimate with God through consistent Bible study and intense prayer.
2.) Let go (mentally, emotionally) of everything else you value.
3.) Ask Him to use you.
4.) Hold on, buckle up, and obey!

Is He Safe?

I will close with one of my favorite quotes of all time. It comes from C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. When asked if the lion, Aslan (representing Jesus), was safe – here is his response:

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Jesus is not safe. There is no promise of safe in all of Scripture, as it pertains to this life. Instead, I encourage you to determine that this year you will step out into the great adventure in your relationship with God. Give Him control and see where He leads…you will never look back!

Where would you rate your life on a 1-10 adventure scale?

Do you believe that God wants this kind of life for you?

What actions do you need to take to get started this year?