I remember an old movie clip from one of Adam Sandler's better movies, Mr. Deeds. If you recall in one of the last scenes of the movie Deeds is standing in front of the shareholders of his father's company, in a last ditch effort, begging for them to make a decision that would save the company and 50,000 jobs. In a room full of millionaires and "successful" business professionals, he asks them to think back when they were a kid and say what they wanted to be when they grew up. Typical answers come through, "Fireman… veterinarian… senator" along with some not so typical answers, "Magician… ping pong champion….etc." The interesting part is when people, in comparison, then tell what they actually do; some in total opposition of their childhood dreams, and all for a bigger check on payday. What happened?
Watch The Clip Below
(Turn your volume up loud)
What happens to us between childhood and adulthood? Why does a child have such big dreams and enthusiasm and then abandon them later in life for a 5'x5' cubicle… "a real job"…and are commended for it? Why as students do we have the passion to change the world and leave our mark, only to fall into the pattern of what society tells us are our next steps? You see the model all around you. We go to high school…. graduate…… then off to college (the place where we are to "find ourselves")….we graduate….. we go and find that winning career and commit ourselves to 40+ hours of commitment there each week……along the way we find that special someone…..get married……buy a house…..continue climbing that corporate ladder (for more money, significance, and recognition)….get raises….buy more stuff….. have kids……work, work, work for the goal to hopefully retire (or stop working…good goal)…. Retirement (Thank God)…… and then…… (as crude as it sounds) death. End of story. This becomes the pattern of so many of our lives. We begin using common, society widely accepted phrases like, "starting our lives," "jumpstarting our careers," and "saving for the future." We practice universally defined rituals of buying homes (and are looked down upon if you rent…like you missed the pattern), studying hard in school to get a good job so you can start on a good rung of the ladder that you will be later looking to climb, and mapping out our own timeline of when all of these key events in our lives will take place (no thanks God, we got this one). The tragedy is that as the majority of us faithfully jump into this current, the world around us (the true world..not just your neighborhood or clique of friends) is screaming out for people who will look beyond themselves and truly leave an impact. It yearns for people who are willing to revert back to childhood and dream big… where the simple things are incredible and there is a desire to move mountains. "And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. '"- Matthew 18:3.
Please don't get me wrong. Going to school and getting education is much needed, working a job that you enjoy is a blessing, money is needed to survive in our country and can support ministries worldwide, marriage is a beautiful sacrament, and having kids is praiseworthy to God. But we are designed for more. For those of us out there who have a relationship with Christ, we also have a responsibility… the ministry of reconciliation. Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians (chapter 5, verses 11-15):
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
The bible is not a story of what God did long ago, it's a report of what God began. We are the continuation of that book and God has many chapters yet to write. You see, if we are convinced that Jesus came and died for us that we may live, then LET'S LIVE! Let's stop living for ourselves, and our bank accounts, and me me me…..but start living for the One who died. Let's stop settling for the "stage in life" that we are in, and start looking around and figuring out how we can make a difference in the lives of those God has put around us. I'm not saying that God has called all of us into full time vocational ministry. Whether full time, part time, paid, or volunteer doesn't matter; just that we go, we love, and we serve. When we get to Heaven God won't ask how your portfolio did, or how many sea shells we collected, but As Rick Warren writes in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, God will ask the question, "What did you do with my son Jesus?"
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3 comments:
I agree with you. I think where we get into trouble is when we try to balance everything. The world tells us that balance is the key to happiness, basically don't do anything to the extreme and you'll be fine, which in a sense is true. But didn't God tell us to abandon everything for him? Doesn't he want all of us? I think when it comes to serving Christ and living for him, He asks us to give it all, and to go after him with everything we have. Ultimately when you say you're balancing career and ministry and family etc, you're saying to God that he's not everything in your life, he's just a part of it...you're saying that you're lukewarm and that is the thing he desires the least for us!! He's not looking for a balance between himself and the world, he wants us to give ourselves fully to Him. I think when we do that we can work in careers, go to school, get married and have a family but our entire focus is on Him not on achieving the things of the world.
I recently read in Romans 13:14 "Therefore, clothes yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature". I was thinking about that verse last week, and how often I spend time thinking about gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. I think about all the "things" that I want, or the better job that will make me happier and provide more money, or getting married, but all of those things are gratifying the sinful nature, and that's what I'm thinking about rather than being clothed with Christ and thinking about Him. What is it to be clothed with Christ? I think it is being fully given to him, that we desire Him only, and that we know Him and make him known to others. I think when we are fully clothed with Christ we won't be "settling" even if we have a family, job, house, etc because those things won't be our focus they will simply be another means by which we can represent Jesus. For a long time I thought I had to "balance" everything, I would think that if I've had a quiet time and spent time in prayer that I can then go out and do whatever I want because I'm cool with Jesus, that its ok to go and watch a crappy tv show or a stupid movie, again just gratifying the desires of my sinful nature. what would happen in this world if we all jumped in with Jesus like the disciples did? I'm realizing balance is not the key; being 100% fully given to Christ is the key to life to the full. I want to go all out for Jesus, to quit looking to satisfy my own desires, and to leave it all to follow Christ. I need the power of the holy spirit because on my own my flesh is too weak to do it, but with Him it's possible
stech,
are you blogging now? that would be awesome
ian
Hey Brandon! Mizpah- May God keep you while we (all of us who know you here in Cincy) are apart. God Bless.
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