If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. Matthew 16:25 (NLT).

A sign at the start of a long dusty road in the Australian Outback reads: “Choose your rut carefully. You’ll be in it for the next 200 miles.” Are you in a rut? Is your life safe and predictable? Maybe it’s time to shake off the dust. Maybe it’s time to colour outside the lines.

“If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it” Matthew 16:25 (NLT). Are you trying to keep your life for yourself? Do you stay at home so you won’t get hurt, keep your mouth shut so you won’t be criticized, avoid getting involved because you fear failure, sit on the fence so you don’t have to take a stand, or keep your emotions in check so no one will see how you really feel?

A man said to his wife, “Honey, what would you like most for your birthday?” She replied, “I’d love to be ten again.” So on the morning of her birthday he whisked her off to Canada’s Wonderland. He put her on every ride in the park. She went on Top Gun, Drop Zone, Sidewinder, Italian Job, Vortex, Sky Rider, Time Warp, Riptide, Mine Buster, Leviathan, and the Wild Beast.

By the end of the day she was exhausted. She’d screamed her lungs out and her stomach felt like it had been turned inside out and upside down. She had no time to recover because her husband took her out for supper, to McDonald’s, and ordered the kids combo for her. To finish the day they went to the movies. With a box of popcorn and pop in hand they watched Cars 3.

You can imagine how pleased the husband was with himself. On the way home in the car he asked, “Well honey, what was it like being ten again?” With a groan she replied, “So that’s what this was all about … I meant … dress size!”

Isn’t that a great story? But what’s the point? Well no point really. I simply wanted to tell you a great story because I like colouring outside the lines!

But back to the serious stuff.

We have to give up life to get life. To know fullness of life we must take a leap of faith, jump into God’s arms, and move to God’s impulses.

If you need to grab life for all its worth, grab it! If you get excited in worship and want to dance, dance! If it’s in your heart to go and serve as a missionary, go! If God’s been nudging you to tell your neighbour about Jesus, tell her! If you’ve been thinking about adoption, adopt! If you want to make a meal for someone in need, make it! If you need to tell him you love him, tell him! If it’s time to change careers, change!

Colour outside the lines. It’s time to step out of the boat. Give your life away. Walk by faith – not by sight (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:7). Breakout, be adventurous. Not to the beat of your own drum. Tune into Jesus. Listen to Him. Just do it! Follow the still small voice of the Spirit as He invites you to give up your life for Him.