I pray nothing I say here comes off as pretentious; I’m still hounded by sin like the rest of us, but I must say what’s on my heart. And I hope you’ll listen.

I write this as a plea to my fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, but please read on if you’d like, regardless of your beliefs.

I have many friends who are Christian. I have many who are not. What I write next isn’t meant to be rude, but, more and more I yearn for their lives to shine brighter than their non-Christian counterparts, like beaming lights of God’s goodness and richness within this world so that the glory of God may manifest and be known in all those they interact with. I have Christian friends who desire to be pastors, I have others content to simply maintain their spiritual ‘status quo’. But the Christian faith is not simply an assurance of heaven – it is absolutely brimming with a profound and all-satisfying joy in Christ Jesus (John 16:24).

I beg you, Christian: do not waste your life.

I know many faithful Christians are content with quieter paths. An ambitiously loving life does not need to be overtly public, by any means, please don’t get me wrong. But for many, I believe God is calling you to something greater – something beyond whatever image this world paints for your existence. We set our hearts on things above, not on things of this Earth (Colossians 3:1-2), so why live out a life sold to you by this world as successful?

Let me show you a tragedy. A complete catastrophe of a life.

Picture a Christian: a person whom God has enabled to pursue great, ambitious works. He’s just out of school, having attained a moderately competitive ATAR somewhat below what he’d hoped for, and he’s maximising his time hanging out with his friends ahead of a university course in Law. Let’s say you ask him the question, “what do you hope your future to be?” And his response is this:

“Well… I hope to get a decently paying job. Meet a girl and get married. Then start a family. I’ll make enough money to provide for everyone. I’ll enjoy the freedom, probably work till I’m 60 or so. Maybe I’ll start a new hobby. Then I’ll die. Then I’ll be in heaven.”

I’ll say it again: the Christian faith is not simply an assurance of heaven. It is life to the full, here and now.

What will this man say, when he’s faced beside his maker on his day of judgement? When the risks he could have taken are laid bare to him. When the opportunities to share this overwhelming love found in Christ to those in his life are made clear to him. Or when the fears to do the things he felt the Spirit urge him to do – but he couldn’t manage to overcome – are shown to him… what will he say? What would God say to him?

The Spirit moves in surprising and powerful ways, striking at our very hearts, encouraging us to work in all things as if for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). I’ve felt the Spirit convict me, leave me utterly floored at some revelation upon my life – something I know must be done.

When I choose to listen to the Spirit, my life is invariably changed, as God works to conform me to the image of his Son (Romans 8:28-29) – the perfect, all-satisfying, all thirst-quenching Son. When I choose to raise my hand to speak at Chapel in front of my whole grade, unsure of the exact time commitment required to prepare the talk, I am not wasting my life. When I choose to start a Bible Study with my friends and prayerfully prepare the Tuesday in advance, unsure of how God will use what I say for the good of those who hear it, I am not wasting my life. When I write a heartfelt testimony about how I’ve come to learn that the fullest joy (Psalm 16:11), fullest love (Ephesians 3:17-19), fullest peace (Philippians 4:7), and fullest purpose (2 Corinthians 5:15) is to be found in Jesus who graciously enabled me to have faith in him, I am certainly not wasting my life.

Of course, we aren’t saved by these works, rather by grace through faith – and certainly not all of us are called to be bold spiritual leaders (James 3:1), but this is me pleading with you now: don’t settle for a life without risks. Don’t settle for a life rejecting the Spirit out of a fear that he has enabled you to overcome (John 14:27). You are called to something greater – so make it your mission to set your life on greater things. We “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” (Philippians 2:12) through aspiring to fulfil Christ-honouring good works, “prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) Pursue these good works, and let God guide you in his love and care for you; he wants you to be bold for him and the sake of the Gospel.

I say this all to the Christian who’s unsure of their future, or if anything they’re doing has any real meaning – the Christian reading this, questioning their lives, convicted in any way by the Spirit. I implore you to let God lead your future. Don’t let your mission in life be simply avoiding hell. There is so much good God has enabled you to do in this world, for the sake of his name and the good news of Jesus. Whether it’s spreading the Gospel to the farthest ends of this Earth, or boldly proclaiming your faith in whatever friendships you have (to the potential awkwardness of those listening), or using your God-given gifts to glorify God above all else you do – please, pursue the calling.

Don’t live a wasted life. Don’t live a life like anyone else, who hasn’t accepted the profound joy and peace found in Christ. That’s meant to change you. That’s meant to convict you. That’s meant to enable you.

Live a life worthy of the Gospel – and pursue a noble task, because God is calling you to something greater.