The Plan

In John 10:10, Jesus states that He has come so that we may have life, and life more abundantly. Or life to the fullest extent. And while it should be interpreted in the light that Jesus is coming to fulfill our lives and make them better, what if Jesus was giving a double-edged blessing? What if Jesus was not just blessing our lives but our pursuits too. Would your pursuits be worth taking to the extreme?

Look at missionaries. They have a pursuit to reach people at any cost, and many have given it their all. Including their life. And this is a noble pursuit. Something that all the apostles did. They all gave their lives. John the Revelator wasn't truly martyred, but it wasn't for lack of trying on the Romans part. But what of other pursuits? Parents want their kids to need nothing and be comfortable and safe. But they strive so hard to provide for their families future, that they forget the things that are most important to kids: spending time with their dad or mom. The true thing that will help them need for nothing and being comfort.

Or, looking at students, they want to grow up and be an adult. They wait and want to be considered an adult, and once they are there, they strive and want to stay that age and never have to be responsible. Never taking on true adulthood, where-in lies responsibility. And society has given it a nice clean term to make it okay: Peter Pan Syndrome. God wants us to be adults. Wants us to have a full understanding of life and Himself. But when we distort it. When we look at the gift that is given, and reject it but look to last years gift or next years gift, God will allow that to become our way of life. Always looking ahead or behind. Never content.

Now onto how I got to this point. For the last week I have been struggling with whether or not I wanted to follow the Voice of God. Not as the term is used regarding the Bible or a Christ centered life, but following what God has to say to me, concerning my life, my goals and my aspirations. And I came to the realization that I have to. Not because God will do anything to me or against me like some believe. I have to follow God because He is God. There shouldn't be any difficulty in it. Birds don't question why they fly south for the winter. Bears don't ask why they hibernate in the winter (or why they change their diet so they become so constipated they don't poo for months). They just do it. Man is the only creature that God allows for questions to be asked. Not so we can keep God in check or honest, but so we can know Him more. And so by knowing Him more, we will love Him deeper.

I kept looking back at the things that have happened in my life for an explanation. Why had I felt called to be a youth pastor and had then been so miserable? Why had I been called to Texas to a organization, that after two years of servant-hood and one year of internship, to be "encouraged to move on?" (The rest of the world calls it being fired.) Because, as I remembered through God's help, that I had to be taught the hard way that it was not supposed to be. Just like when you were young, that the stove is hot and you should not touch it, you had to touch it to know for certain. So I had to experience being a youth pastor and the pain that it brings. The agony of convincing one of my friends to come to 'epic student ministries Friday night bowling' "in case a girl comes." But really so I could have adult interaction with someone outside work and my family. Or being told that the spiritual formation landscape and systems that I had helped create would be naught but wishes and dreams except for my help and hard work, or all the holes and problems I fixed, filled and dealt with were extremely important and helped save many hours of toil, only to be shown the door when a more "attractive" candidate come along.

God had allowed me to walk through those doors so I could be shown that while I may be competent and reasonably good at them, that was not what He had planned for me. That while I knew how to be a youth pastor and how to work for a church as a pastor or administrator, it was and is not my path. My calling. I had to begin to step through the door that I believed God wanted me to step through, only to have it shut in my face. To crush my fingers. To hear the booming 'click' as the door is locked and I have no way of opening it.

God spoke to me through a man once. A man that is one of the wisest people I have even known. He said "God wants leaders with scars, so others can run their fingers over the wounds."

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. " Jeremiah 29:11

"Take what is given. Give nothing back."