If we’re thinking logically, we could say that when we create something, we do it with purpose. We don’t create a book without having a message to deliver. We don’t create a vacuum with no intent for it to suction. We don’t create music without the intent for it to be heard. I could go on and on, but the point I’m getting at is, why would we have been created without intent and purpose?
Many of us spend our days floundering around through life and pissing away the gift we’ve been given. When I refer to “gift,” I’m referring to the gift of life, along with our many skills, talents, passions, interests, etc. We live as slaves to our wallets, worshipping our paycheck and waiting on our finances to tell us that “now is the perfect time to do what you’ve always wanted to do.” Odds are, if you’ve been strongly feeling the desire and urge to do something, it’s been planted there by something or someone greater than you. We spend our lives honoring money, honoring people, and countless other things… just waiting for the right time as each second ticks by.
I listened to a sermon by Myles Munroe awhile back that indicated that the richest area in the world is the cemetery. The basis of the sermon was that the cemetery is so rich because it is filled with potential… lots of untapped potential. That resonated with me because as I pondered this deeply, I realized that I too was sitting and waiting for the “right time” or the “right financial situation” before I started fulfilling the desire that’s been growing inside of me to write, to share the information I’ve been blessed to come across in my search for more within my own life.
I know I’m not alone on this “search for more.” I know many of us, if not most of us are spending our lives working jobs that we’re not gaining anything but a paycheck from (spiritually speaking). We feel as though something is missing or that we are meant for more, but just aren’t sure how to get it. In that we often turn to the wrong things (insert drugs, alcohol, affairs, internet, validation from others, etc.) and miss the thing we’re looking for completely.
As I go deeper into my spirituality with the desire to learn more about who I am at my core and what I was created for I see 2 sides to this coin. One is a mindset shift where we learn to appreciate each of our blessings, shift our perspective and see everything as what it truly is, a gift. The other is that maybe, just maybe, our creator made us with very specific wiring… instructions… a seed that creates a specific part of what He intends for this world. It’s possible, that maybe we aren’t extremely ungrateful, unsatisfied, spoiled children, but maybe that we were created for something more or, if not more, something entirely different than what we’re doing and we’re missing it completely.
The original-language Bible words for sin mean ‘to miss a mark or target.’ This leads me to believe that not only are we morally missing the mark in the intent for who we were created to be and how we were to function together (that’s another topic for another day), but that we may also be missing the mark when it comes to fulfilling all we were created to be in this world. I’m sure a lot of us have read the quote, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I like to believe that there is a reason we sometimes feel unsatisfied or unfulfilled in what we are doing with our life. Many of us are living well below the potential we have due to any # of factors.
Many of us are making excuses. It’s not the right time. I can’t afford to do it. I’m not good enough at it. I won’t be successful in it. Work is not supposed to be fun that’s why they call it “work.” That profession doesn’t make enough money. That profession doesn’t have enough status. I’d have to move to become a…. (insert profession here). The biggest factor is FEAR! We’re afraid to pursue what lies deep in our heart. We’re afraid to pursue the work of those we most admire. We are afraid we won’t be good enough. We are afraid it won’t work out. We are afraid that our families, friends, or perfect strangers will disapprove. We are afraid to expose our work because… what if others don’t like it and hurt our feelings. We are afraid to jump out of our comfort zone because heaven forbid we should fail.
There is this song that I’ve gotten a lot of benefit from listening to and it’s called “Fear is a liar” by Zach Williams. So many great and profound individuals have said something to the effect of, “On the other side of fear, I’ve found greatness, peace, happiness, etc.” If we can look at these people and admire them for their bravery and success. Why are we continuing to listen to the wrong voice? Why are we continuing to embrace the fear instead of listening to love. We make excuses and spend time thinking about “why we shouldn’t, why it won’t work, why we can’t” rather than focusing on the 50% chance that it absolutely can work out. Just as much as we might fail, we might also succeed. If we fail, there is blessing in that also, as long as we’re open to seeing it as that.
There is also another song called “Do Something” by Matthew West that hits me right in the gut. We need to become the change we want to see in the world. We need to embrace those things that we most love or even those things we most dislike and use those things to mold ourselves so that we can make a difference in the world. We need to move toward this not tomorrow, not someday, not when the stars align, but NOW! I’m learning that the only time we have any ability to do something that leads to impact is “now.” We can’t foresee 10 steps ahead. We don’t know if what we start now will have impact immediately, once our lifetime is over, or never. However, we do know that if we never start, the chances of having the impact we want to make in the world will be 0%.
I’ve also been thinking about Jesus and how he lived. Regardless of your personal beliefs concerning Jesus, you have to admit that he had amazing impact when, over 2000 years after his existence, everything that he did is still relevant, studied, honored, worshipped, and debated. He always sought his creator for what he was to do and as a result he lived life with purpose. He understood what he came here to do and regardless of who loved him, who hated him, who didn’t understand him, who questioned him, who doubted him, what resources he had, he kept moving. He kept healing, kept speaking, kept following, he kept praying, and he kept serving the world. He didn’t do what he did for glorification, for honor, for money, out of pride, out of obligation, but out of love. He had persistence and stayed with what he was called to do until the very end, even when the path got incredibly adverse. He didn’t get buried in doubt, he trusted, he took risks, he taught, he loved, and he went all in for the reason he believed he was sent. He was willing to die for his purpose. Are you?
We can certainly take all of this and apply it to our own personal situations. That thing that’s been nagging at you, that thing that you’ve said “someday” to, that thing that you would like to do, but don’t think you have the skills, knowledge, ability, following, or whatever else is exactly what you need to do. Do what you love with love for people in the process. Honor the experience, honor the journey, honor the failures, honor the lessons, honor everything that comes out of it and take the leap of blind faith. I’m in the process of building my courage and letting go, but I’m feeling really optimistic that it will all work out once I do.