Stoke.

"Do you have stoke?" This is a question I was asked when striking up a conversation with some Canadians while walking along a beach here in Nicaragua.

In the surf world being stoked is a key phrase that even goes beyond ability or expertise, but deals more with gumption and pressing forward when you'd be tempted to give up. It's a certain amount of risk, of fire, of fight. The best surfers probably really did just start with 'stoke', they were willing to be stoked and try to "get up" even though inevitably they'd fail more times than succeed, at least initially. But you have to start somewhere. I've found a thrilling new activity that I can really say that I absolutely love. I'm absolutely terrible, and it's probably deals with my lack of stoke. I'd fail, or not have the technique, and fill my sinuses with more salt water than I knew possible. And it's then that you really need to be stoked, to push past your tiredness, or mindset of staying where you're at and moving forward.

I've thought it over and over again how good an analogy surfing really is, and now that it's been attempted, it's even more so. I feel like in our walk with Jesus we're really only going to stay in one place unless we are stoked. Possibly just filled with zeal and excitement, but more so of being filled with the gumption of Holy Spirit. Of being willing to try, and fail, and pushing forward. Much due to obedience and willing to risk- it all.

I've been convicted about obedience in the last couple weeks. I honestly had to apologize to God for my actions. It seems odd to say, but I think it was the hardest thing I've had to talk to him about. Mostly because I knew that I had been lying both to myself and to Him.

I think in the United States especially we're a people driven by information and knowledge. Knowledge is power, right? Definitely can be true. But what do we do with that knowledge or information? Information should directly correlate to obedience. The more we hear, the more God speaks to us, and the more we obey, the more exponential the growth. But I have been one of the poor fellows that James 1:22 talks about:

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

I've been a follower of Jesus for years now and I thought that I was doing pretty good at this verse. That I was loving people, that I wasn't lying, that I wasn't saying I was a "Christian" and not acting like it, right? Or wrong? This verse is talking about me. I'm one that loves to seek out wisdom(in and of itself not wrong), but I'd be one to read lots of good books by good authors, or study the Bible, and not directly apply it. I'd literally have thoughts of maybe I need to learn just a little bit more before I can do this, or maybe Jesus didn't really tell me to do that because I'm not really gifted in that, or even worse, my disobedience was really an excuse to doubt Jesus. I know that Jesus has things for me each and every day. I know that Holy Spirit desperately wants to be acting and speaking to and through us, and yet when I'm not faithful in little, it's there where I have to start. I have to step out in obedience everyday. James 1 again says, "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." I need to hear everyday. I need to obey when I hear-now. And it would be crazy what God could do with a life like that. One who is willing to take risk in obedience to what they know they aught to do. I don't want my growth chart to just be plateauing. To be making it by. Doing what I should be doing, most the time. That will bring growth, sorta. In contrast, I can reach for an exciting life, one with stoke, one that tries to get up regardless of what might happen because I'm excited for what could happen. Jesus my example, Holy Spirit my coach. I'll look to the right to see what Jesus is doing, and follow the voice of Holy Spirit when He tells me to jump. I get to look back, but oh the joy of being propelled forward.