Why do you Adventure?
“Why do you adventure?” I asked our wilderness first responder instructor. He was a man who I quickly realized had a drastically different world view from me. He had been sharing about the solo Himalayas trip that he was planning. He thought for a moment, then explained that he loved experiencing different cultures. It made him happy. That was his goal. Then he bounced my question back to me. I shared that adventure was about sharing formative experiences with people. He said, “It’s the same; it’s about helping people find happiness.” “Not really,” I replied. Then I offered some clarification. I don’t care if people are happy, I care that they grow. Grow as people, as leaders, and in their faith.
My friend Sam Van Eman wrote a book titled, “Disruptive Discipleship.” He puts this all into perspective. Wilderness trips, summer camps, mission trips and other once-in-a-while experiences are so effective because they mix up our routines. They help us refocus on the One who created us and draw out new revelations about our lives. I adventure because I know the power that disruption has and I can foster a space for others to grow. Unfortunately, this process is hard. It requires real risk and a bit of suffering. I don’t particularly enjoy the way I feel after sleeping on the ground for a week, and I really don’t like trudging across ice cold rivers in February, but I know that in doing this God is working in lives. Through my time in the back country, I have come to know how to quietly sit in God’s presence, rely on prayer, suffer through a night in a frozen sleeping bag (which is a great way to develop grit), and learn to make hard decisions with real-life consequences. Now I get to share this with others.
As I reflect more on my answer as to why I adventure and the instructor trying to make sense of it, I am reminded of one of my key hypotheses in life. Satan likes to distort things about God in a way that isn’t necessarily bad, but it isn’t the best. In this case, assuming I want to make people happy is the key to seeing where the enemy has been at work. While happiness is not bad, it isn’t necessarily of God, but I know joy is. I believe that we all crave joy. We spend our lives stiving for it. Joy comes from God. I believe that the enemy tells us that we can fulfill our need for joy by being happy, but he is wrong. It will always leave us feeling empty. True joy only comes from the Father. By providing people with formative experiences that hopefully draw them into deeper relationships with Christ, I am exposing them to joy, joy that will never run out and will fulfill our true life’s craving. In that sense, I think we are looking for the same thing; he just didn’t know what he was truly seeking.
Why do you do the things that you do? Is it to make yourself happy? If it is, you will never be satisfied. The thing that you are truly seeking is only found in the One who created you. I encourage you to seek out a disruption in your life with the goal of shifting your focus onto Him. Over time you will receive joy, joy that will satisfy.
