SAFE OR GOOD?

Are you safe or good?

My wife and I recently saw "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," making us want to revisit the previous Chronicles of Narnia movies.

In the first, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," Lucy asks about Aslan (the Lion), whether he is safe. The beaver says, "He's a lion; of course he's not safe; but he is good."

At the end of the movie, that statement comes out again about Aslan (who represents Jesus in C.S. Lewis book), "He's not safe, but He is good." I believe Lucy herself made it at the end, having seen and experienced that for herself.

Jesus was not safe, but He was good. His heart was for others. His heart was one of service rather than life being just about Him. He came here for others, not Himself. (Philippians 2 says he left being with God the Father in heaven--a perfect place--and emptied Himself). Who after being in heaven would want to come back to this earth? But He did, for others. That is good.

Jesus didn't fit into the religious establishment of the time. Many beliefs He held were 1st century beliefs, but as He said, "I come not to nullify the law, but to fulfill it." He went beyond the norm and the expected, and it was not accepted by most in His time. He was not safe.

So often, I find today that I, and other followers, are safe but not good. I try to keep myself out of trouble as I carefully watch what I say and who I offend (by my beliefs and practices). I live a quiet life and try to not put myself out too much for others (safe but not good). I find it hard to serve others but instead work to serve myself and work on myself individually. I try to dabble with worldly things and get by with what I can, rather than wholeheartedly living to be good (as Jesus would mean "good").

Why are we so safe but not good? Instead we are selfish and all about us and what we can get. I want mine the way I want mine, and don't want things shaken up or changed, because I rather like life and church and my world MY way.

Is it that we can't have both? Can we not have safe AND good at the same time here? Will we opt for safe over good? Will we accept less than we were meant to be? An Old Testament scripture says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good." (Psalm 34:8)

Maybe in spending more time, "tasting" of Him, I would be less safe but more good." Instead do we not more often opt for "tasting" of the world and all it offers?

God is working on me to make me less safe and more good. What about you?