Living Radically ... in your everyday life

I was thinking about what it meant to be a radical disciple.  There are circumstances in life that seem inherently “radical.”  The steps of faith, the ministry opportunities, the challenges and the Kingdom impact are all clear.  The routines are less settled.  The stories and pictures “prove” you are living radically.

But what if it is not that clear cut?  What if you have to look for opportunities within your “ordinary” life?  The desire to be a radical disciple stirs in many of us who live more “normal” lives, inhibited by full-time jobs, family commitments, and other stage of life issues.  So how do we live as radical disciples?

I have written down a few thoughts for your consideration. This isn’t a full discussion with all the appropriate qualifiers.  It’s merely some thoughts from years of prayer and seeking.

How to live as a radical disciple:

1.  Take listening prayer seriously.  Make a commitment ahead of time to believe that God will speak to you.  Work toward instantaneous obedience when you know it is His voice.   Believe He speaks in the little things as well as the big things.

2.  Do not disguise fear as wisdom.  Be brutally honest.  Resist the temptation to dismiss things by saying “I don’t think it is wise to …” when you really mean “I’m afraid to ….”

3.  Don’t live self-protectively.  You’ll know what this looks like in your own life.  Maybe you begin to make decisions that the world might consider foolish.  Or when you feel the Spirit’s nudge, you give away more than you think you can afford.  But you make a daily choice to listen to Him first and then to trust Him to provide what you need – physically, emotionally, financially and in every other way.  It is no longer primarily your responsibility to create security in your life.

4.  Consider whether you want your life to be characterized by supernatural gifting or only by “inherent talent”.  Obviously there is a lot of overlap.  But I want a ministry in the Kingdom that cannot be explained by my “natural talent”.  I want there to be a component that can only be explained by the presence of God.  Have the courage to ask for that, knowing that it is like jumping off a cliff.

5.  Spend time thinking about the difference between desire and call.  I believe there’s a big overlap but I don’t think they are exactly the same.  Learn contentment where you are called and ask Him to open your eyes to see why He has you there.  Commit to His ministry—even if you would have chosen a different one.  Ask Him to align your heart with His in this particular place and this particular season of your life. 

6.  Ask the Lord to show you where you still hold on to a sense of entitlement.  It can be overt (“I’m entitled to a certain lifestyle”) or it can be subtle (“Because of all I’ve gone through, I’m entitled to have it easier for a while”).  A sense of entitlement will rob you of joy.


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"Oh, Aslan," said Lucy. "Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?"
"I shall be telling you all the time," said Aslan. "But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder." 

--from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader : Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

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Prayer Requests

Pray that the Lord will bring more prayer warriors and financial supporters alongside us and the ministries we serve.

Pray that God’s people of all ages will respond to His call to get involved in missions both here in the United States and around the world.

Pray for national ministries that help starving children, and people left helpless due to debilitating diseases like malaria and AIDS.

 

Pray for the Unreached  Bania of India

Population: 25,717,000
World Popl: 25,983,000
Main Language: Hindi
Main Religion: Hinduism
Bible: Complete
Status: Least-Reached
Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2%

                          

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