How to become a ‘Renegade for God’

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God created you with a stalwart spirit. It's the part of you that longs to live a free, fun, fulfilling life, brimming over with purpose, place, and meaning. And of all the fears we face and for all the demons who snipe at our souls, they can all be reduced to one common, core obsession. The number one fear of every man and woman I have counseled, coached, or conversed with is the fear of living a wasted life. And it's this constant craving to live a free, fun, fulfilling life which best identifies the renegade spirit.

Let's get this straight right here, right now; R4G's aren't rednecks. They weren't born with a proclivity to whine or wring their hands. They can't be identified by an outward appearance. They can't be pigeonholed as conservative, liberal, democrat, republican, or independent. They may or may not ride motorcycles. They might or might not have tattoos. They are as apt to wear Brooks Brothers' suits as Bermuda shorts or a Tommy Bahama shirt. They work in high-rise office buildings and on construction sites. They are teachers, lawyers, salesmen, statesmen, artists, painters, bluecollar workers, and ditch-diggers. They come from all races, creeds, and colors. They spill over into every social stratum. Many are highly educated while others are not. Their faith is neither cosmetic nor cultural. Hot-wired into their motivations is the drive to live life to the max. But they're not stressed out, over-reaching, success hounds.

Let's dispel another myth-Renegades are not rebels. They're not angry anti-socials. The sacred Scriptures say, "A rebel doesn't care about the facts. All he wants to do is yell" (Prov. 18:2, LB). Rebels are angry people. They use anger as a mask to cover up their hurt and disappointment. Rebels look for someone to blame, something to hit, and something to run from or over. Renegades aren't angry people. They are simply people who will not settle for less than the free, fun, fulfilling life for which they somehow know they were meant.

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From the cradle to the grave, life comes at you hard and fast. Easy is not an option. If you are a bum, life is hard. If you're a businessman, life is hard. If you're a mother, life is hard. But it's never easy we're after. As a matter of fact, renegades avoid easy because we bore easily. It's not easy we crave, but worth it. To be who God created you to be and to do what God has called you to do is never easy, but it is what we won't live without, if we can help it.

Renegade real is an inner quest for authenticity, not a particular temperament or style. Renegades know they were created to be unique, distinctive people. As a matter of fact, the renegade spirit can be understood with these three words-energy, individuality, and significance. It's a desire, a passion to be an individual who lives a significant life. Like the hippies of the sixties, we want our chance at revolution. We look around us at the pain and we dare to do more than wring our hands and say our prayers. We want to get our hands dirty in the act of making this a better world because we lived.

A renegade is a live wire, someone who gets up with a positive outlook every day. They savor the moments by understanding that every breath is a miracle, every sandwich is like manna, and every person met is a priority. It doesn't mean they don't get down, it doesn't mean they don't go through hard times of hurt and pain, but they are resilient and resourceful. Give them enough time and opportunity and they'll find a way to make life great. They choose to live-not to lose. They are winners, not whiners. They are truthseekers, not agenda pushers.

Renegades are mavericks. We don't necessarily mean to be, but we have a low B.S. quotient. As such, we resist second-hand faith and hand-me-down rules. Orphaned obligations feel as distant and plastic as disco. Second-hand faith, second-hand experiences, second-hand rules chafe at the soul and the spirit of the renegade on the road to real.

At the core of the renegade spirit is an insatiable curiosity. They want to know why things are the way they are. We ask lots of questions. That's why for us, rule-based religion is a stodgy, staid, and provincial way to live. Renegades surmise if God can be known, it should be through a relationship, not through a set of rules, which do not relate to real life in the real world.

If there is one all-inclusive characteristic, which captures the spirit of the Renegade, it's the desire to be real. We want to be aligned with people who are real. We want to invest our lives in issues that matter, endure, and will prevail in the end when everything else melts away.

Renegades are spirited, positive, energetic people. We love life and want to experience everything it has to offer. We want a big life that matters and makes a difference. We're not looking for neat and tidy. We want our lives to count, now and forever. We want to live everyday unafraid, unashamed, untamed, and unleashed. And as a renegade myself, I join all my mates in the renegade nation as we dare to imagine and create a better world.

CONTINUED

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How to become a ‘Renegade for God’