In his book, “Greater”, Pastor Steven Furtick says “Most believers aren’t in imminent danger of ruining their lives. They’re facing a danger that’s far greater: wasting them.” In other words, we are far less likely to make a catastrophic mistake that forever messes up our lives than we are to simply watch life pass us by as we sit idle on the sidelines, mired in our mediocrity. The greatest danger we face is not becoming the person God has created us to be. Our greatest challenge is to begin moving towards becoming that person even when we have no idea where we’re going. God hasn’t called us to plan out our journey, but rather to simply follow Him.
I’ve known people who are so paralyzed by the fear that they’ll do something wrong that they take things to the opposite extreme and never do anything at all. I’ve talked with countless Christians who are committed to doing whatever Christ asks them to do… just as soon as they figure out God’s will for their life. They are afraid of doing something that isn’t God’s will for them, so instead of taking action and doing the things Christ has told us all to do, they sit on their hands awaiting a personal revelation.
None of our lives follow a perfectly straight path from where we are to where He is. We all face twists and turns along the way. Temptations and the struggles of our world interrupt our journey. Sickness and tragedy derail us from the tracks. If we are true followers of Christ we press on despite these obstacles. We make course corrections along the way. As agents of freewill, we will make mistakes and fail. That’s all part of the journey. Jesus uses those moments to reveal more of Himself to us. Unless we stumble, there will never be a need to fall into His arms.
No matter what you’ve done or where you are, your life can be used for the Kingdom. As long as you are breathing, you have not missed your chance to play a vital role in the mission of Christ. It’s never too late to turn back. You’re never too far under that He can’t raise you up. In contrast, you can absolutely waste your life. You can choose to never take action, to walk in ways He never intended for you to walk. You can leave things undone that He created for you to do (Ephesians 2:10). You can squander everything He has given to you because you are too afraid or unconcerned to use your gifts for His glory.
You can’t ruin your life on your own, but you can definitely waste it away. No one wants that to be their legacy. God has created us all with a unique blend of talents and passions so that we might reflect and glorify Him to the world around us. You’ll never change the world from the sidelines. If you want to make an impact, you’ve got to get in the game. Don’t be afraid of doing it wrong or making a mistake. God always has a contingency plan. Just take action and leave the rest to Him. Don’t be afraid of ruining your life. Be very afraid of wasting it.
Are you living in fear of making a mistake? Are you waiting around looking for God’s will in your life? What one step could you take today to “get in the game”? You can join the conversation by leaving a comment.