If Jesus jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?
Sort of a silly question, I know, but a lot of times it has felt like Jesus is asking me to jump off some sort of cliff to follow him. Whether it be public speaking, leading, or having spiritual conversations with people, I often encounter situations where my own fear, pride, or anxieties must be overcome before I can dive in with Jesus.
One of my first experiences being on Jesus’ diving team was actually jumping off a real cliff—a big rock, if you want to be technical—into a freezing river. I was on the Northern Ireland mission trip with our student ministry, and throughout that week I had seen what God was doing in other people’s lives, and it emboldened me to be open to God’s will for my own life. We spent one afternoon exploring Tollymore Forest, the forest that inspired Narnia, and at the end, some of my friends wanted to jump into the river. Now, typically I would have sat out for perfectly good reasons, like that it was 45 degrees, the river was even colder than that, and I didn’t have a change of clothes.
But in that moment, I was not going to let a little discomfort keep me from having fun with my friends. I leaped in, and the icy water felt like a jolt of boldness that had entered my body. I wasn’t sure why it felt so significant at the time, but it seemed to me like a preparation for taking another big leap for God in my life.
When I got back home, I thought that the spirit of boldness would stay with me, but it quickly became difficult for me to let go of the anxieties that I was still holding onto. More often than not, in situations where I could have shared the gospel, I remained quiet. I wanted to be able to dive in and do what Jesus was calling me to do, but my fear of leaving my comfort zone seemed insurmountable.
It didn’t truly click until CIY MOVE this year. Throughout the week, we went through the book of Hebrews and talked about the “in-between.” This subject resonated well with me because I am currently “in-between” high school and college. With big changes in community, routine, and independence, there are a lot of opportunities for me to choose between fearfulness and boldness. But how am I supposed to find the strength to choose boldness? Through all the sermons, small-group discussions, and quiet times, the answer rang clear. I need to fix my eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through me. Rather than holding onto anxieties that keep me from following Jesus, all I need to do is trust in Him and His plan.
I learned that if we want to dive into the life that Jesus has for us, we have to embrace discomfort. It may be hard to give up the fears we have, but if we keep our eyes on Jesus, who suffered far more terribly than any of us ever will, we will receive the strength to leave those fears behind. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to jump into the water and keep swimming, accomplishing the work the Lord has set for our lives.
Rachel Miller
Rachel is a part of our Christ’s Church family and is a recent graduate from Webb City. She volunteers in the Special Needs Ministry and has been very involved in our Student Ministry. In the fall, she will be attending Harding University to study English. Rachel enjoys reading, running, and spending time in nature.
