Living the Radical Life
…whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6
John the Baptist was the most radical person I have ever read about! But please do not go out and search for a camel-hair loin cloth or try to find some exotic health organization that sells wild locusts and honey. That is not what I am going to try to tackle. (Also, the verse above is not about money—at least in this devotion.)
Today has some radical thinking, doesn’t it? There are political debates and religious discussions going on every day. Some of those folks I might consider to be extremists. If you ever tune into Fox News and then go to CNN—well let’s just say they are opposing forces.
Let’s face it, John the Baptist was radical. Google defines radical (noun) as a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social reform; a member of a political party or part of a party pursuing such aims. Perhaps he was exactly this. However, he held nothing back. He went all out for Jesus. He did not cut corners. He sowed bountifully and because of that, he is still part of our heritage.
What I am really curious about is whether there are still any folk out there who know what their purpose is and are walking hand-in-hand with Jesus to get the job done. Good old John, now he knew what he was supposed to do and he did it with all his heart. It mattered not to him that people thought he was crazy or weird.
Somehow, I don’t think that God smiles when we give of our time, compassion and love but in the back of our minds, we are on vacation. Time is one of the greatest gifts we can give these days. It is a true sacrifice; an act of godly love.
Instead of telling someone I will pray for them, I stop and pray with them right then. When my friend needs a ride to the doctor’s office (for a long appointment) and I have other things scheduled, I reschedule. At work, when the conversation amongst co-workers is not positive, I don’t walk away anymore. I ask if it’s okay to invite the subject of their gossip to join us so we can get this straightened out. For me, these are simple characteristics of living a radical life.
Today I talk more about what He has done for me than ever before. I long to be sold out! How about you?
Father God, please give me the courage and strength to be sold out and radical for You. AMEN.