Word of the Week: Radical.
- Jessamyn Anderson
- Feb 22, 2016
- 3 min read
As I’ve worked through my devotionals this week (Rediscover Jesus and the daily devotionals from Blessed is She), there’s been a recurring word: radical. The word carries intensity and strength. There are a couple of hard, unvoiced consonants (#voicemajorproblems), so the word doesn’t roll of your tongue. And it brings to mind events that are life-changing, challenging, and not always filled with “warm fuzzies.” This word has been at the forefront of my mind for a few days, and this is not a coincidence. Much like my mom, I don’t believe in coincidences. This is a calling from Jesus. He is calling me to radical change in my life.
There is a part of me that’s ready to strap on my boots, grab my bag, and follow Jesus down this radical path… but the more prominent part of me is a little hesitant to run with this idea. Radical? He wants radical change in my life? What does that even mean? I want to look a little more deeply into the devotionals that inspired this desire for radical change.
The dictionary definition of radical is as follows:
Radical: (especially of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.
The reading for Day 8 of Rediscover Jesus is titled: Jesus Was a Radical. Matthew Kelly goes on to explain why this is, and these are the key points that stuck with me:
“He allowed truth to reign supreme.”
By bringing order to all aspects of life, he demonstrated the true value of things.
He reminds us that, “God’s ways are not a slight variation of man’s ways, but that they are in fact radically different.”
In her reflection on Ezekiel 18:21-28, Christy Isinger from Blessed is She says the following:
“Jesus is telling us straight up today that we have to surpass this righteousness. And that is intimidating. It’s a call to radical holiness, a holiness that forces us to lay down our preferences, our comforts, our ideas, for those of Christ. To follow Christ means we do not pick and choose; it means we lay it all down.”
So what does this mean for our lives? It means that we will have to change. We cannot stand still and remain content with where we are. We must push ourselves to grow in holiness by extracting unnecessary distractions from our lives, diving more deeply into prayer, and truly asking God (and listening as He answers in His time) what He wants for our lives. It is easy to grow comfortable where we are because familiarity is something we seek in everyday life. But there’s been a phrase running through my head lately, and I would like to share it with you: God does not call us to be comfortable. He calls us to be holy.
Okay, this is great and all, but what do I do? What are some action steps I can take to truly make this radical change in my life? The first step to any goal is breaking it down into smaller steps. This was key on my weight loss journey, and I am a firm believer in setting small goals to get to the bigger ones. Here are some of the things I plan to do to begin this radical change:
Pray every day with fervor. I pray every day, but I haven’t rid myself of distractions while I do it. I haven’t been focusing on listening to God enough during my prayer, and that is a change I need to make.
Focus on the Mass. You have the opportunity to witness a miracle and a mystery of the Church every time you go to Mass. As I’ve mentioned before, Communion is not shampooing your hair (lather, rinse, repeat), so look at it as more than a routine.
Get rid of stuff. I wouldn’t call myself a materialistic person, and yet I feel so weighed down by stuff in my life right now: clothes I never wear, mementos I don’t care about anymore, books I’ve never read and probably never will. The more I fill my life with things, the less space I make for Christ to work in my life.
What are some things you can do to begin this radical change Christ is calling us to? Write them down. Print them on beautiful paper and hang them on your wall. Make them your phone background. Do something to remind yourself of the change that God is asking us to make in our lives. Jesus was a radical so that we could live in fullness with Him. Don’t we owe him a radical change in our lives?
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