My name is Jordan Onia. Everyone desires to burn with passion, change
the world, and to be radical – I believe this is the heartbeat of our
generation. Being radical is so appealing, but I believe that in our pursuit,
this generation has forgotten this lifestyle’s heavy price. This life will
require the sacrifice of your personal preferences, and everything that you
think you deserve will be given up for the sake of knowing Him more. It will
cost you the luxury of comfort, and the paths that seem wisest to the world
will often be left behind in pursuit of that which is greater. This can mean
going without, that another may be blessed. This lifestyle is uncomfortable
because we elevate our rights. While
Christ was on earth, He set His rights aside for the sake of love and knowing
The Father. Love requires the sacrifice of everything you were never made to
own. Love costs your selfishness. But my
heart is to show you the beauty of these heavy costs.
I graduated from Harvest School of Missions in Sarasota,
Florida this past April. It was such a beautiful time, but little did I know, the
experiences I had were only the first of many great adventures I would have while
following the Lord. This was also my first encounter with a situation that if
God had not shown up I would look like a fool. As the last day of Harvest
School rolled around I had no money for gas to get back home. I called my
parents, but they showed no interested in helping me. After getting off the phone, the students that
were still left decided to go out to eat as one of our last times together. I
remember specifically locking my car doors before climbing into a friend’s car
and heading to lunch. I had made no mentioned of the conversation between my
parents and I, or even my need for money; but after returning from our fantastic
lunch, I witnessed the impossible. I
walked past the passenger side of my car and glanced in to find an envelope
that read, “Gas Money”. After opening the letter, I discovered the exact amount
I needed to return home. I began considering all the ways the envelope could
have been placed in my car, but while I mused, God spoke to me, “If your
parents would’ve given you money, how would I have received the glory for
getting you there and back?”
Everything is relational. God does not reduce any portion of
the gospel to petty methods for making our lives better. I want to encourage
each one of you that if you desire a life that burns, a life that is set on
display, position yourself to live from a place that if God does not show up,
everything will fall apart. He tells us in Matthew 6:6 to seek first His
kingdom; and the Greek word here for kingdom is Basileia. Basileia essentially translates to ‘a kingdom
that will fall apart without being constantly connected to the King’. God is
calling you to a lifestyle in which He is the glue. A lifestyle that is
impossible without Him. Thank you for the honor of sharing, and even more for
reading. I pray God empowers each of you to dream your greatest dreams, and I pray
that the fulfillment of these dreams would only scratch the surface of all God
has in store for you.
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