How free and alive am I willing to be?

Yes, folks, I am still in chapter 3 of Mark Scandrette's book 'Practicing the Way of Jesus.' It is partly because it is a good book, and partly an intentional attempt to slooooow myself down. It's hard to explain, but I kinda/sorta feel something happening inside me... Or at least I hope something's kinda/sorta happening... and I don't want to miss it.

Anyway, I'm sure you all are familiar with 2 Timothy 3:16-17 where the apostle Paul says Scripture is useful to teach and train us to live in righteousness, and to equip us for every good work. I like how Scandrette puts it...

"The best goal for studying the Scriptures is not to acquire connoisseur-level knowledge or complete understanding, but to gain the faith and inspiration to respond with obedience: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

He continues on using John 6:68, and saying...

We are being invited to trust that the instructions of Jesus are based on true knowledge of the way life actually works. They are meant to liberate us from the patterns of thinking and acting that are sabotaging and destroying us and everyone around us. So rather than begrudgingly asking, "What do I have to do?" or "How far do I have to go?" a better question is, "How free and alive am I willing to be?" By making an honest attempt to obey his instructions, we are faced with the existential question of which kingdom we want to live in -- the kingdom of love or the kingdoms of this world...

He says in one of their learning labs called "Experiments in truth" they ask each other two questions in the first session:

1. What keeps you from experiencing life in God's kingdom more fully?
2. What is one thing you could do in the next forty days that might change your life forever?

Yeah... those are dang good questions, aren't they? If I can be honest, awhile back (one of my first posts from the book) I shared about the Matthew 11:28-30 passage and the questions of what makes me feel weary, burdened, tired... I finally determined my problem is worrying. So when I think of the things that worry me or stress me out, and then "How free and alive am I willing to be?"... well... I WANT to be free and alive. Which is going to require some Jesus-sized balls to get to.

Does anyone else see why this book is taking me so long to wade through??