Will You Choose the Wilderness?

Book excerpt: We do our best to avoid the wilderness, but the man Jesus considered the greatest embraced an entire life in the wilderness. Are we too driven by non-biblical definitions of success to follow the ancient paths? If you are satisfied with influence, popularity, comfort, and success, you can avoid the wilderness. However, there are simply some encounters with God that are found only in the wilderness. Crowds are seducing, but the wilderness is where the fire burns, the burning bush appears, and God speaks. Many people use the words "wilderness season" only to describe a period of time that feels difficult or unproductive, so it has become common to call people to endure the wilderness and look forward to a time of greater fulfillment outside the wilderness. However, it is time to issue a new call: it is time to challenge a generation to embrace an entire life in the wilderness. The call to the wilderness is not a call to isolation. It is not a call to abandon our families or shirk our responsibilities, and for most, it is not a call to leave the place where the Lord has placed them. The call to the wilderness is an invitation to choose a life before the Lord that is not possible as long as we continue to give place and time to competing distractions and alternative affections. Jesus considered John the Baptist among the greatest of all human beings, but how many have carefully examined John's life to discover Jesus' definition of greatness? While many people avoid the wilderness, John's life will force you to answer a question: Will you choose the wilderness?