Adventure is usually defined as an activity that is perceived to involve risk, danger or excitement. Helen Keller stated, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

I found this interesting story —“Writing in The New Yorker,” January 1954, Dr. R. B. Robertson reported the fascinating experience of accompanying a group of men on a whaling ship. Later he tried to analyze why these highly successful men would leave their businesses, comfortable homes, and loved ones for such a hazardous, yet joyous experience. He concluded they were psychopaths—not in a sick, inferior sense, but in a superior sense! He said they were men whose minds and spirits were so healthy that they could not accept the civilization into which they had been born.

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “being adventurous,” used as a descriptor of mental health? Most of us are more familiar with describing the adventurous person as “crazy.”

After one of Jesus’ most significant miracles (raising a man from the dead), Scripture records several responses from those who witnessed this event firsthand—“That was a turnaround for many of the Jews who were with Mary.

They saw what Jesus did, and believed in him. But some went back to the Pharisees and told on Jesus. From that day on, they plotted to kill him. (John 11:45-46,53) What a range of responses!

If you decide to become a follower of Jesus, be prepared for an adventure.

A life lived the way that God designs it will be fraught with risk, danger, and excitement. Remember, we are told that the choice to become a follower of Jesus is a choice to change our citizenship status from “citizen of earth” to “citizen of Heaven.” We become visitors/foreigners with a mission.

Our mission becomes active involvement in duplicating the behavior of Jesus. In John 11 it uses the phrase—“they saw what Jesus did and believed in Him.” We are called to be active in doing the kinds of behaviors that obviously reflect God.

God has so many traits and characteristics. They are identified throughout the Bible. There is no one place in the Bible where all of these traits are listed in a bullet-form list. So, we read it and model the traits we find.

I like the fact that this adventure/instruction manual comes with an interpreter. Jesus clearly told His followers that that each of them/us would be given an interpreter and helper in understanding and implementing this adventure/instruction manual.

The risks involved are many. Some of the people we invest our lives in will believe because they see a real difference in our lives. We love instead of hate. We talk people up rather than run them down in our conversations with others. We sacrificially give to others because we genuinely love them.

Others will be threatened by what they see. Their responses to us will be just like the ones Jesus experienced—being gossipped about, being persecuted, and sometimes being killed.

Did you know that the organization, World Christian Database, reports an average of 171,000 Christians worldwide are martyred for their faith each year?

High risk occupation? Yes.

Ready for the adventure?

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