The Obstacle

A few years ago, a guy approached me after a speaking gig and asked a simple, penetrating question.

I spoke about following big dreams, and he asked, “What’s the obstacle?”

I asked him to clarify.

“I agree with you…God made us to dream and follow big dreams. So why don’t we do it? Why don’t I do it? What’s the obstacle?

The way he asked told me he already knew the answer. “What do you think it is?”

“Fear. We’re afraid of the risk.”

“Exactly.”

We create an illusion called safe. Safe is a familiar neighborhood, set of laws, group of people, job, collection of behaviors. We know what it’s like within its boundaries. It’s safe.

Without Jesus, of course, there’s no such thing as authentic safety. But especially in middle-class America, safe is an easily maintained façade. If I remain within familiar margins, I’m safe…right?

I fear anything that asks me to step beyond those boundaries.

I want control. I want the appearance of risk with assured, reasonably comfortable success. I’d rather do secure small stuff than risky big stuff.

The problem, of course, is that following Jesus isn’t about small stuff. I can do that all by myself. Jesus says I should trust God and get beyond my comfort zone. And – frankly – I DON’T WANNA! I’ll bet you don’t wanna, either.

We tend to whittle away at Jesus until He’s small enough to be reasonably comfortable. We attend church and do Bible studies and hang out with people who think and act like us. We find all sorts of things to do that look right without taking any real risks.

I make “following Jesus” a smaller thing so it fits inside my nice familiar American life. If I make it small enough and define it narrowly enough, I can do it full-time without breaking a sweat.

I’m not sure that’s what God had in mind. At some point you begin wondering who’s creating whom in whose image.

(Written 9 years ago. Still relevant.)