I did not always plan to be in ministry.  I had a few options that I considered in my early years.  However, one of those options did not stay on the list very long.

Do you remember Evel Knievel?  Boy, do I!

As a boy I marveled at his death-defying jumps – busses, canyons, or whatever else might be in his way.  In fact, I knew that one day I could do what he did.

So there I was.  A friend and I were at a park on our bicycles when we saw some construction material that had been left (this was before they would worry about posting signs or putting out orange cones).  We rearranged everything into an awesome ramp and backed up to try our own Evel Knievel jump.  I gave everything I had and felt like I was going 90 mph when I started up the ramp.  And that was the last good feeling I had about it.

Did you know that it is easier to jump than land?  It is.  And the gash above my knee was proof.  I even carry a scar to remind me that I am not Evel Knievel.

Sometimes boys are not careful.

Well… Sometimes none of us are careful.  It seems to be a lot easier to leap and then look, but that is when you end up with scars.

Paul tried to warn us to look before we leap.  He wrote in Ephesians 5:15-17, “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk – not as unwise people but as wise – making the most of the time, because the days are evil.  So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Living as a Christian is not without risk.  The Christian life requires stepping out in faith (or maybe going off the ramp in faith).  At the same time, we must be very careful about how we walk, how we live.

Paul said that we need to understand what “the Lord’s will is.”  We have to know that what we are doing is what we are supposed to be doing.  We may not always know what the outcome will be, but we can know whether or not God wants us to take a certain path.

In a world that is as unpredictable and chaotic as ours is, it is crucial that we follow God’s path – not our own – not others.  Look around us and you will see what happens when people do not follow God’s path. Look at the Bible and history and even those moments when you saw God move, and you will see why following God’s path is always the right choice.

I learned my lesson about bikes and ramps the hard way.  I hope you and I can learn our lesson about life in an easier way.  Follow Him.  Trust Him.  And go wherever He leads.

As a reminder, I thought I would suggest that you get your own Evel Knievel (like I had as a kid) to remind you to look before you leap. Click the picture below to get your own…