Adventurous Living
What does it mean to live an adventurous life?
This is an interesting question, as different people would define it in different ways. We may even have defined it differently depending on our seasons of life. When I was in high school, I was fully immersed in being a subculture kid. That is, I thought it was adventurous to defy the norms of trendy fashion instead of opting for attire that identified me as a punk rocker, and you would have never caught me listening to “Top 40” radio. Looking back at that time of my life has given me a gift of clarity, and two realities stand out to me 25+ years later. First, I wasn’t as unique as I thought that I was at that time. Yes, I was completely and totally a punk rocker and had all of the markers that identified me with that group. My intentions to be different were genuine, but the fog of adolescence prevented me from seeing that I wasn’t all that different from the majority of my peers, even if we dressed differently from most. It is good to grow up and mature! The second insight is far more important. I was attracted to being a subculture kid because it felt adventurous. It helped me feel alive, purposeful, and thoughtful about the life that I was living. Yes, it was a stage of my life. No, I don’t long to go back to those years. Instead, I am trying to think about what it means to live adventurously now, in my 40s, with four kids and two minivans, which might be the most un-punk rock vehicle choice ever!
See, I’ve come to learn something about each of us. We were made for adventurous living.
Here’s how I know that statement is true. We all get inspired by those who are pioneers, explorers, and inventors. That doesn’t mean that each of us wants to become or is wired to be those things. But we get inspired by them and we become excited for their adventurous living. The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthian church, was offering them a needed corrective. They were consumed with pride, and it was manifesting in all sorts of ungodly behaviors and was corrosive to their hearts. In the second half of chapter four, Paul reminds them that this adventurous life of following Jesus is going to look way different than the life of conforming to the norms of Corinthian culture. He does this by pointing to his own life and the lives of the apostles. He’ll say it this way, “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.” [1] This series of contrasts is to remind them of both their privileged position in Christ and that they are to be distinctly different from Corinth. Paul will go on in a few more verses to tell them that they are to be imitators of Paul. Why? Because he is living this adventurous life of following Christ Jesus in a life-defining way.
The question that should begin to surface for you and me is, “Do I think that following Jesus is the adventurous life that I was made for?”
Too often, when we reduce Christianity to behavioral modification, we strip it of its adventurous foundation. Paul’s words to the Corinthian believers are risky and demanding. It will cost them something to be imitators of Paul and come into conformity with Christ. Adventurous living is costly. But it is more rewarding than anything else! This is why we ask the life question, “How are my investments doing?” This question isn’t primarily about money; it is about being purposefully responsive in following God in the opportunities he has for each of us. It is about adventurous living with our time, talents, and yes, our treasure (money).
Are you ready for adventurous living? Paul’s words and example are costly and demanding, and so I completely understand when our hearts are excited, but our follow-through is lacking. I am there more often than I’d like to admit. So let’s start with one step at a time. Take time to evaluate your resources (time, talents, and treasure) and ask the following questions:
- Where am I investing each of these?
- Am I investing each of these in some measure into God’s work and purposes?
- Do I need to adjust any of these to be more purposeful in living the adventurous life of discipleship?
- What is one step that I can take this week? Or, what is one way that I need to grow in the next semester?
We’re not naive; following Jesus in a life-defining way is hard, but as Paul says, it is more rewarding than anything else we could invest our lives in.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Co 4:10–13.