Passion and Purpose

Lately I have been thinking about my 22 year old friend that recently died. I have known him since I was 2 years old. As we got older we had different circles and went to different schools, but to some extent we grew up together. Nic was a stud on the local high school football team, and was generally very popular. Nic loved life, and he spent many of his days trying to make other people laugh. Nic knew God, but I feel like Nic was searching for purpose in his life, and I am not sure that he every connected the relevance of Christianity to finding purpose in life. On the other hand, maybe he did, in which case I feel like the traditions of our church society may have masked how exciting Christianity can be. Unfortunately, we often mask the excitement of Christianity that we are actually called too. I struggle with this, and often do it myself. Recently school and work have overwhelmed me, and I have allowed the mundane to master me, rather than allowing my master to master the mundane.

Sometimes I feel like our greatest sin is being comfortable. If it is not a sin, it certainly is not what God calls us to. Many of us desire to make a difference in our world, but when it comes to doing so we are afraid of change, and equally afraid of discomfort. Nic was searching to fill voids in his life, just as many of us do. Nic was at a stage in life where he was defining who he would be, and what his passions would be. He was searching for exhilaration and purpose. The church and maybe Christianity in general, loses many, many people that are Nic’s age. Some come back and some don’t, but maybe the reason they leave is because they are searching for something that will make life exhilarating, something that will help them to know passion in life.

Nic was passionate about football; he tried surfing and bull riding, and then became a firefighter. Nic was searching for something to be passionate about! It makes me wonder this: Is a person more likely to be turned off from Christianity because we present a Christianity that is traditional, building-oriented, and comfortable; or is a person more likely to be turned off from Christianity because we present a Christianity that requires discomfort, change, and passion?

At first thought one might think that someone would be turned off from a Christianity that is radical, but it might be possible that thousands leave because they are searching for something to be radical and passionate about! It is hard for us to think about Christianity like this because we have allowed church to evolve into something that is not only comfortable for us, but also comfortable for those that we are trying to bring to Christianity, and quite frankly we are……comfortable with this. I know I am. I am scared about being a business professional that is passionate about his Christianity, and in many ways I am intimidated by secular society. In this way I have allowed for the mundane to master me, rather than allowing my master to be the master of the mundane.

There is no doubt in my mind that God calls us to a Christianity that is exciting. In John 10:10, Jesus said that he came that we might have an abundant life! What I do have doubts about is how I, how we all, try to enjoy this abundant life despite being afraid of what we might truly be called to. We try to find comfort in this world when we should allow God to be our comforter. We try to fashion our faith after that of the 1st century church, but the 1st century church was not comfortable. In the midst of persecution and sorrow their passion was spreading the gospel and serving the needy.

I had a friend that went to a downtown area in a large city on the weekends to be with and minister to homeless people. Another couple I know actually took in a homeless person and offered him love and support until he decided on his own to move on. My dad and some of his Christian friends helped a man and his family get off the streets and into a home. They helped furnish the home and minister to him in many other ways. These situations are uncomfortable, yet exciting!

If we love God with all our hearts we will serve him like there is no tomorrow and suddenly the traditions that mask Christianity will become irrelevant, and we will find passion again. If we find passion again, then we can help people like Nic to find a Christianity that is passionate. We must be aware that this may look different the Christianity we have known.

Purpose

Life sometimes offers one challenge after the other, and often times they are mental challenges. "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." These words for me are so hard to live by, but I have to keep moving on...moving forward...and somehow along the way trying to enjoy the many blessings of the life I have been given.

I had a 22 year old friend die in the last week, and it really is hard to understand. Some might say that he was struggling through life, but he really seemed to enjoy life and for that I admire him. Life is very short, and unfortunately my friend did not know just how short it was. It is in situations like this one that it is hard to understand this world, and it is easy to question for me to question my purpose. The truth is, I have been so wrapped up in studying and preparing myself for the future that I do not know what my purpose is. If you happen to run across this, say a quick prayer for me, that I might find purpose.

On one hand I know my basic purposes. I want to prepare myself to have a family and be able to provide for my family, but I spend exponentially more time preparing for this than I do preparing myself spiritually. God, forgive me of this, and help me to find greater purpose. Help me find courage and motivation to serve you with my life, and help me to see ways to do this. It is scary for me to pray this, but I pray that you offer opportunities for me to to serve you, and to reach people that need you. Help me to lose my selfishness that I might see others in their needs.

I am convinced that if we do not try to seize each moment, and enjoy each phase of life, that we will find ourselves at the end of a journey that we missed out on. If you read this, please take this one piece of thought for what it is worth. Enjoy life, and try to enjoy each moment. Search for God, and have the courage to make a difference. Maybe one day I will reach this point.

Swimming Up-Stream

Sometimes I feel as if I am swimming upstream, and I am probably not alone in feeling this way. If only we could peek around the corner to see where life is leading..... Sometimes I wish that I could do this, but this is not God's design, and God's wisdom surpasses understanding in this world.

I try to work hard to prepare myself for the future, but as I do so, I sometimes wonder if all of my talents and abilities are being used. In the last year I have graduated with an accounting degree, have finished half of my MBA coursework, and have studied for and taken 3 of the 4 sections of the CPA exam. I take the last section in a month. Fortunately, God has blessed me with the opportunity to work full time at the university while I take MBA courses and study for the CPA. In many ways my current job has been an incredible experience, but I am often left wondering.... Is there something more?

Is there something more that God has in mind for me? Is there a place or a way where I can truly find fulfillment in what I am doing? When I get to the other side of this great transition in life, will I be able to make it?

In all of this questioning, and in the incredible busyness of the past year, God has placed on my heart one verse. Luke 16:10 says, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

I can not say that I have been faithful in all the small things, but I have hope that as I strive to be faithful in the small things that God will give me strength and open new opportunities in the future. As much as I am ready to see around the corner, God has given me this time to be faithful in the small things, and to learn. I struggle with both confidence and humility, and God is using this situation so that I can learn that he will be with me, but also to learn that I absolutely need him to be beside me.

Maybe if we can learn to be faithful in the small things we will all find greater fulfillment. Maybe if we can learn to be faithful in the small things we will all see more closely the heart of our savior. Maybe if we can learn to be faithful in the small things we will lose the nagging need to see around the corner, and maybe in the process...we will learn just how big a blessing the present is.

The Struggle

To the masses that read this post...and to myself. I haven't written in a long time because of many reasons, but it is now time for some additional reflection. I have seen God's blessings in my life...and I have witnessed the answer to prayer. Yet even though I have seen miracles, I struggle to stay faithful to his way. Often when we see in the Bible that disciples witnessed miracles, and still lacked faith, we criticize them. I am no different than those disciples. I have seen His glory, yet have allowed the world to influence me...and to neutralize me. May God defeat Satan in my life.

God, see through the muck and the mire and see my soul. Search me and find the love that I have for you, and forgive me of my sin. Create in me something that is new, and teach me to be more like you. I am searching to provide for myself...but you are the great provider. Forgive me of my ways, and light in me a new fire...one that is different than any fire I have had before. Breathe new life into this body, and save it from the evil that fills this world.

This world is a big place full of people that do not know you, and I have selfishly thought only of my struggles and troubles. Change me, Lord, so that I might touch the world around me. Fill me with the confidence that I so desperately lack.

May I begin to see this world as you see it. May my life become relevant because of the work you will do in me.

It is written: Be ...

God is Love. This is true, and we hear it all the time, but sometimes I feel as if in embracing this I lose reverence for God. I think that this might generally be a problem that much of society struggles alongside me in. In realizing gratitude for the Lord, and beginning to grasp his love, I think that we must also fear him. I feel as though that if I truly feared him as I should, that I might truly seek for righteousness as often I don't. Meditate with me on the words written by Peter, and consider their application to your life.

1 Peter 1:13-25 NIV
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord stands forever."And this is the word that was preached to you.

What Might go Wrong

Some days you can almost hear Satan whispering in your ear that you are not good enough. We live in a battlefield of good and evil, and so often we feel the affects of that without even realizing it. God loves us, and though sometimes we struggle through life it does not reflect that God has turned his back to us. Why is that we so easily allow Satan to diminish our efforts? He is right when he says we are not good enough, because we aren't good enough. We are a fallen people saved by the grace of God, and no matter how much we want to do so, we will never be able to live in a way that we could even partially pay him back. Maybe if we grasp this we will realize that God truly loves us, and that though we are not good enough, he is still rooting for us.

I so easily doubt myself and my ability, but I need to learn to trust God more. He is in ultimate control, and will guide me along my way. My focus should be on living as he wants me to, not on what might go wrong.

The Race

Sports are a tricky thing. I have learned much about life from sports. I started playing t-ball when I was about 5 and ever since then sports have been apart of my life. From sports I learned about teamwork, discipline, determination, and even failure and disappointment.

Sadly sports and competition have often got the best of me. I let them get me frustrated and have at times let them get in the way of friendship. It has been amazing how serious I quickly get taking all of the fun out of the competition.

Paul encourages us to run the race to win the prize. This requires finding passion within in ourselves while finding perspective and self control. Anyone that has ever been in to running knows that it is much like the New Balance commercial, a love-hate relationship. It is hard at the time but the benefits are very rewarding.

May we find the strength and insight to run the race.