One Man's Voice

Kerby Brown taking on the 40 foot wave

This picture caught my attention recently. It is an Australian surfer, Kerby Brown, taking on a 40-foot wave and living to talk about it. What a gutsy combination of being bold and audacious.  Dictionary.com suggests that such a picture can only be described as bodacious.  It stands in contrast to my play-it-safe self.

You see, I tried surfing early in the summer and actually loved it.  I have brand new surfer shorts (never worn) and a surfboard that went from the store to the garage and has, since then, provided a bodacious experience for spiders. Now summer is way gone and I have totally missed out on a potential new career opportunity .

I think Christianity – or more accurately, following Jesus was meant to be bodacious. That’s what it was like for the believers in the book of Acts. They loved dangerously, forgave recklessly, shared their stuff wastefully with those in need, and pursued God unashamedly. They had a faith that wasn’t confined by fear, and lived out what it meant to be changed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. These disciples were bold, audacious and lived Romans 12.

Romans 12:9-12 (MSG)
⁹Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. ¹⁰Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.¹¹Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master,¹²cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.

I’m not talking about living dangerously just for the sake of it- that’s “stupidacious,” (word not found in dictionary.com). However, many who carry the label of Christians, find themselves confined to religious ghettos – garages of other play-it-safe, stored up fellow believers, who hide from interacting with those who really need to be touched by the good news of the Gospel. Jesus was drawn to those who needed Him the most and so should we.

Indeed, this comes with a price.  People may reject you and your efforts, but let that spur you on to keep trying. Wipeout is actually part of the experience. If when you think of reaching beyond your comfort zone and taking a risk for God you are hindered by thoughts of:

• “I tried that already and it didn’t work…”
• “That’ll never work for me…”
• “I’m not good enough… strong enough… spiritual enough… smart enough…”
• “Me? You’ve got to be kidding!”

If that’s your list of normal constraints, absolutely disregard that list and dare to be bodacious. By God’s grace, you can influence your world. You must!

 P.S. Next summer, I do intend to hit the surf again. Can’t wait to take on the 40-foot wave.