“From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.” —ACTS 14:26

Sir Ernest Shackleton was an Antarctic explorer, knighted for his heroic expeditions that opened the way for travel to the South Pole. On his fifth exploration journey, he died of a heart attack at age 47. In 1912, he had placed the following advertisement in the London Times, “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful.” Amazingly, the ad drew approximately 5,000 replies from people willing to sacrifice everything, including their lives, for the prospect of a meaningful adventure.

Every Christian has more than the prospect of a meaningful adventure. God has given us the assured opportunity, unequalled to any other, of being workers with Him, connecting eternal things with things of time, and of seeing people transformed by the presence of His working in their lives.

Through struggle and persecution, Christ built His church and is continuing to build it, often under the same barriers and hardships. History has shown that persecution serves to advance the Gospel, not diminish it. Paul and Barnabas, for example, faced many roller coaster ups and downs on their first missionary journey. Filled with triumph and peril, it was a journey that would last approximately 18 months to two years, and would cover about 2400 kilometers from Antioch to Cyprus, to Turkey and back to Antioch.

On their travels, they had seen demons overcome and miracles performed; they had been treated as gods and, by the same people, condemned to die. They had been welcomed in cities and cast out of cities. Yet all along the way, they had established churches, strengthening believers, warning them of hardships to come and appointing elders. Once back in Antioch, they reported to the church all that God had done through them and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentile world.

The Christian life is not about sitting down here believing things about God, but about being so related to Him and His agenda in this world that He is willing to work in us and through us. If we can make that vision a priority in our lives, we will discover a fresh level of adventure and excitement. We need to capture and go on re-capturing that sense of adventure and the value of being involved in God’s work. There’s no other agenda that compares with it as we have a God who is totally trustworthy and totally in control.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for the opportunity of a meaningful adventure. It’s one of the reasons I love the Christian life, and am always exhilarated at the prospect of working with You.

TO REFLECT UPON: Do I look upon the Christian life as an adventure, knowing that in my willingness, God will use me?