Choosing Adventure

I recently traveled to Central Asia where a small group of us visited rural villages in a remote mountain range. Our purpose was simply to pray. Believing in the power of intercession, we asked God to bless these communities that, as far as we know, have never had a witness of Christ. We asked for spiritual hunger to be given, and at the right time, a witness of the gospel to be planted among them. It was personally stretching with days of rain, hours of climbing, treacherous mountain roads, high altitude, and the strangeness of a culture and language we had to depend on translators to navigate. We never knew what was going to happen next, but overall it was a very positive experience.

It was an adventure!

Coming home, I had to navigate some changes in my family, relational and job-related tensions, as well as financial uncertainty. It was stressful. I didn’t know what was going to happen next in most these situations. I got through it, but overall they did not feel like positive experiences.

Why did I NOT call my homecoming an adventure?

Double Minded?

With a bit of reflection and prayer, I can now see that both sets of circumstances were filled with uncomfortable situations. They each left me with the feeling that I was not in control of what was going on around me and that I was going to have to respond somewhat blindly to what happened next. Yet, one invigorated me and the other forced me to dig deep into previously untapped reserves of endurance to get through. Why did they feel so different?

The answer, of course, is the different mindset I took into each set of circumstances. The human brain can take exciting, unusual, and bold experiences that are full of unknown risks, challenges, or uncertainty and release a feeling of invigoration. Through the release of neurotransmitters, like dopamine and noradrenaline, the breaking of monotonous routines, overcoming fears, and the experience of personal growth, my life can feel invigorated.

Yet the same brain can view unpredictability and the breaking of familiar patterns as a threat to survival. Uncertainty can subconsciously feel like physical danger. Its push to take control and manage risk out of my routine can be very strong. In fact, I find this latter impulse growing stronger the older I get, preferring controlled environments much more than I did as a young man.

One brain; two different mindsets in processing circumstances.

Easier Said than Done!

I read the words of Jesus knowing they are good but sometimes scratching my head trying to figure out how to follow them:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…which one of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? …But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 5:25, 27, 33 ESV).

The only thing I have found that can bring it together is that little word, “trust.”

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3: 5-6 ESV).

Trusting God’s love and faithfulness is the bottom line of the gospel. It is also what gives us hope that the circumstances that my brain tells me are negative and should be resisted and feared need not be the final word. He is good and he is powerful. He is leading me to eternity in his presence. A life of growing a deeper trust in God has the potential of looking and feeling more and more like an adventure!

Releasing Control: It’s a Process

Growth in trusting God does not typically happen in one giant leap. It’s formed through the daily small choices to remind myself of His good character through prayer and study of the scriptures. It develops as I choose to humbly be a learner each day, focused on the process of growth and not merely the product of getting to a destination. It expands as I allow myself to meditate on the wonder and beauty of all the things He has given. And it matures as I choose to anticipate the good things He has yet to give regardless of how uncomfortable circumstances feel right now.

I’m not completely there yet, but I am choosing to believe that life is meant to be seen and experienced as an adventure. Even those circumstances that have stressed me can be turned when the element of trusting my God is established as the foundation stone of life.

So, don’t be afraid to release control. You won’t die. But when all your efforts to manage your life are entrusted into your Heavenly Father’s loving hands, your brain can begin to interpret circumstances differently. And anxiety can take a backseat.

Go ahead! Choose adventure as your lifestyle!

Response:

• What activities stretch me but leave me with a feeling of invigoration and refreshment?
• What stresses me? What parts of my life do I feel compelled to never let go of managing and controlling? What would trusting God in these areas look like? How might my life change if I were to let go?
• Jesus, teach me to not worry and how to let you lead me into a life of adventure.