A Trailblazer’s Perspective – Chapter 1
What UNCHARTED Means to Me
By Jonathan Colbert – Executive Director
In my most natural state I would describe myself as a medium risk kind of guy. That’s just were I seem to land on a lot of things. My peacemaker personality helps me see both sides of the coin but can also stall me out when it comes to being decisive or even confrontative when necessary. So, when it comes to the idea of stepping into something unknown or uncharted, I seem to get a bit stuck in the calculations. But isn’t that what I am supposed to do? Not get stuck but count the cost?
Following Jesus is a costly endeavor. He teaches about this in Luke 14:25-33.
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
So yes, I must count the cost. I must plan and calculate and know what Jesus is calling me towards. Uncharted is not a call to an irresponsible recklessness that puts me at odds with Gods plans. For some this may be the more difficult part of Uncharted, doing the necessary planning and praying to align with God is asking of you. Abiding in God takes patience and perseverance. I definitely need to grow in these disciplines.
BUT I am also instructed by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 to walk by faith not by sight. To be clear this is not a call to be unintelligent, sheltered, and aloof. The truth is, walking by faith means being perceptive, resilient, and engaged. It’s just that my perception is limited due to the restraints of time and space which God is outside of. Therefore, I must trust and hope for what is yet to be made clear to me knowing that God is fully in control and will do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine when I am willing to step through and into what he is asking me to do.
I pray you will join me on this UNCHARTED journey and experience the amazing things God has in store for us.