What is Extreme Living?

Extreme Living: what is it?

The online dictionary describes it this way: extreme, adj.

• of a character or kind farthest removed from the ordinary or average: extreme measures.
• utmost or exceedingly great in degree: extreme joy.

It means whatever you're living for - do it to the utmost. If you believe in something, then put your all into it. I came up with a list of some things God says we are to do "extremely" - only He uses the word "all":

• Worship with all thy might (2 Samuel 6:14)
• Pray with all thy might (James 5:16)
• Serve the LORD with all thy heart and soul (Deuteronomy 10:12; Joshua 22:5)
• Love with all thy soul, mind, spirit, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5)
• Seek the LORD with all thy heart and soul (Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah 29:13)
• Trust in the LORD with all thine heart (Proverbs 3:5)
• Keep thy heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23)

God said He wants all of us, and if we hold anything back, it's not all. Wow. Not so easy for us to completely surrender every part of us, is it? We want to keep control of at least a few things in our lives. If we give Him everything, we're suddenly not in control any more! And for those of us who have a more quiet personality, we worry that He might ask us to do something that we "just can't do"! We don't have any right to choose. But wouldn't you say that the One who knows what the future holds already knows what the best choice will be? We must remember that "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Give it all you've got, and ask for God's help, because without Him, we haven't got anything.

Dwight L. Moody once heard a preacher say, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him." His response? "By God’s help, I aim to be that man.” I want to be willing to "be that man", or rather, woman. What about you? :)

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" Colossians 3:23