"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending
life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike 'What's next,
Papa?'" (Rom 8:15, MSG)
When attending church on a weekly basis, many among us enjoy the couch-potato
kind of attitude: "I did my duty!"
Is this truly the purpose of being a believer?
How could an explorer enjoy watching pictures from far away countries without
ever visiting them? Would pictures be enough? I am one of these explorers, and
when I see captivating pictures, it compels me to fly to far-away countries to
experience the real culture of those people. Pictures alone would leave me
wanting. There has to be much more than just pictures!
I can't fathom how anyone would be satisfied with such a couch-potato attitude.
We need to go beyond just listening to sermons. We need to experience our
Heavenly Father fully, so that we can become what our Father has in mind for us:
Witnesses of the Most High! Sermons should leave us wanting. They should give us
the hunger for God, so much that we won't be satisfied until we can share His
Good News with those who don't know Him. There is no better satisfaction than to
see someone smile when they hear how our Heavenly Father loves them so deeply.
Our heart will become overabundant with divine love. How much better it would be
to let our Heavenly Father guide us in adventures of faith that will fill us
with adrenaline and drive us to ask, "What's next papa?"
In Currituck Banks Reserve near Corolla, North Carolina, tourist rental homes
have been erected all through the dunes. There are roads connecting these rental
homes, and in the past, there were street names signs where the sandy roads
intersected. Most of these street name signs are now gone. Thousands of tourists
come to sit for hours on end on lawn chairs in the sun, facing the Atlantic
Ocean. They are truly "couch-potatoes", and as a memento of their trip to the
Banks Reserve, many of these same tourists have stolen the street name signs on
the roads running amongst the rental properties. As a result, the streets in the
dunes have no names, and it is quite easy to get lost.
But who would want a memento just for being a "couch-potato"? Who would be proud
of that? After all, there is much to explore on the Currituck Banks Reserve.
There are wild horses, other kinds of wild life, amazing scenery, and perhaps
most importantly, there are very interesting people! Rather than being a
"couch-potato" on the beach, wouldn't it be a golden opportunity to share with
those other tourists what is most precious to us?
Congratulations! You have been awarded the couch-potato certificate. By the way,
what's that street name sign doing in your kitchen?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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