Growing (2 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:14-15; Luke 22:31-32) as a Christian is hard (2 Timothy 2:6).

Getting from "where I am," to "where I need to be" often means venturing into uncertain and unfamiliar territory (Hebrews 11:8; 1 Peter 1:6). Dennis Conner in his book, Managing at the Speed of Change, illustrates this truth principle:

At nine-thirty on a July evening in 1988, a disastrous explosion and fire occurred on an old-drilling platform in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. One hundred and sixty-six crew members and two rescuers lost their lives in the worst catastrophe in the twenty-five-year history of North Sea oil exploration. One of the sixty-three crew members who survived was a superintendent on the rig, Andy Mochan.

From his hospital bed, he told of being awakened by the explosion and alarms. He said that he ran from his quarters to the platform edge and jumped fifteen stories from the platform to the water. Because of the water's temperature, he knew that he could live a maximum of only twenty minutes if he were not rescued. Also, oil had surfaced and ignited. Yet Andy jumped 150 feet in the middle of the night into an ocean of burning oil and debris.

When asked why he took that potentially fatal leap, he did not hesitate. He said, "It was either jump or fry." He chose possible death over certain death. Consider this:

* He didn't jump because he felt confident that he would survive.

* He didn't jump because it seemed like a good idea.

* He didn't jump because he thought it would be intellectually intriguing.

* He didn't jump because it was a personal growth experience.

He jumped because he had no choice--the price of staying on the platform, of maintaining the status quo, was too high [emphasis mine--mb, p. 92].

And so it is in the spiritual realm. In order to grow and mature in the faith (2 Peter 2:2), we must leave the security of our current position and "plunge into the darkness" so-to-speak (Genesis 12:1-4). That's scary and uncertain, but it is an imperative if we are to lay hold on eternal life. Watch Abraham's example:

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. and he went out, not knowing where he was going...for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:8, 10--emphasis mine, mb).

Brethren, "remaining on the platform" of spiritual inactivity and immaturity is not an option, because the price of staying there is far too high. It's either jump or fry (Revelation 3:15-16; Genesis 19).