The Right Wall

What does it take to make a life well lived? You know, one without regrets?

For some reason, I have always been interested in the studies you see from time to time asking people near the end of their lives what they would do differently if they had the chance. I think it comes from a desire to keep my life on track and not, as they say, “find out at the end of my life that I had my ladder on the wrong wall.” Though the wording varies slightly, the same answers seem to come up time after time. One such study by Chuck Swindoll found what people over 85 would do differently included:

1) Spend more time meditating and reflecting
2) Invest time on eternal issues
3) Take more risks

Maybe the first two aren’t all that surprising. Most of us are busy enough that we can understand how easy it is to speed past moments of meditation and reflection. And we know how the tasks of the day can consume our time and energy, barely leaving any time for the eternal. We know we should do better and these reminders help. But what does it mean to take more risks when almost everything we do is in an effort to mitigate or eliminate risk? Our tendency is to seek safety and security yet we know there’s something missing. Perhaps it’s the excitement of a real adventure.

As Christ-followers, we are called to give up everything for a relationship with Jesus. At least six times and in all four Gospels Jesus is recorded as saying to us: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39 – see also Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, Luke 17:33 and John 12:25). Now that’s a risk! In fact, in the latter part of Luke 14 Jesus cautions us to count the cost of becoming a disciple. It is not something to be entered into lightly but some people give more thought to a two year cell phone contract. For many their association with Christ is nothing more than hitting the “Like” button on Christianity’s Facebook page.

Somewhere along the line we have accepted the idea that we’re on our own individual journey. And God’s role is to come alongside us along the way to serve our needs as a sort of divine butler. But that’s a tiny, hollow, self-centered way to live. The reality is that God is calling us to a Great Adventure - His great adventure! Yes, it costs us everything but, paradoxically, it’s the only way to gain anything. Live your life so that at the end you are not saying, “I wish I would have risked more.” What is God calling you to do now? Move your ladder to the BIG WALL and Live the adventure of a lifetime!

”The goal of faith is not the elimination of risk. In fact, the greatest risk is in taking no risks.”
(Mark Batterson from In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day)