No Rest For The Radical

Over the course of the past couple of years I have read more than one book that made me uncomfortable in a good way and, at the same time, uncomfortable in a bad way. All of us who know Christ need to be challenged to deepen our devotion to Him. We need to be honest about how far short of loving the Lord with ALL our hearts, ALL our souls, ALL our minds and ALL our strength, we truly fall. (See Mark 12:30)

We need to be encouraged to keep pressing towards the mark (See Phil 3:12). We must not allow ourselves to become complacent or to allow apathy to creep in and erode our passion. We need to be crazy in love with Jesus. And realizing how far short of that we normally come should make us uncomfortable and desirous of more. We must be called to an awareness of how much, and how often, we compromise our faith and conform, allowing the world, rather than the Word, to shape our lives.

But there is also something about the onslaught of recent books and materials calling us to a radical devotion to Christ that makes me uncomfortable in a bad way and I have not been able to sort it out theologically as of yet. That’s why when I came across some quotes recently from a new book by pastor and author Larry Osborne it got my attention. I haven’t read it yet but it is definitely on my list for summer reading this year. Here is some of what Larry has to say about the subject that caught my eye.

“There is nothing praiseworthy in a feel-good, lukewarm, consumer Christianity that never asks us to change or do anything. It makes Jesus gag. But we must never forget that there is also nothing praiseworthy in a spiritual zeal that looks down on others or sublimates Jesus' grace and mercy in order to emphasize our radical obedience and sacrifice. That too makes Jesus gag… Following Jesus is not a race to see who can be the most radical, sacrificial, knowledgeable, or quickest to burn out. It’s not a contest to see who’s willing to take the hardest road. That’s asceticism, not discipleship. For the gospel to remain the gospel, grace and mercy have to remain front and center. When the radicalness of my commitment, the intensity of my zeal, or the extent of my personal sacrifices become the means to receive or maintain God’s acceptance and approval, the good news of the gospel is no longer good news to anyone except those of us who excel. Make no mistake. My warnings about the dangers of an overzealous faith are not meant as a defense of soft and easy Christianity. They are simply a plea that we remain true to the heart of the gospel, offering rest, help, hope, and salvation to the weary and heavy laden.”   Larry Osborne in ‘Accidental Pharisees’