June 23, 2016
Part I: What Will Drive You?
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope~Jeremiah 29:11
Dear Graduate-the late nights of studying have come to a close…there’s no study group to attend tonight…all the projects have been completed and homework has been graded. The boring evening lectures are finished; can you believe it?! The culmination of all your hard work represented by your diploma or degree can be terrifyingly-awesome. Like a graduation cap thrown into the air; emotions for graduates reach tremendous heights of excitement towards the future that awaits (the awesome part)…yet quickly descends as the gravity…or reality of uncertainty awaits you. (the terrifying part) Graduation exemplifies a time in our lives when emotions seem to be in a frenzy if not outright discombobulated.
Think about it…You’re so relieved to have crossed the finish line; yet you’re lacking true confidence that the path you’ve chosen is best. Of course you won’t openly admit some of the anxiety that lies within…after all, nearly every other graduate within sight has their superman cape on; hiding their kryptonite of uncertainty just like you. Pretending like you have it all together as you take the next step in life’s journey is just as fictitious as the latest Captain America movie right? Despite each exhilarating moment the film creates, the reality of every superhero film is the same.
Think about it…You’re so relieved to have crossed the finish line; yet you’re lacking true confidence that the path you’ve chosen is best. Of course you won’t openly admit some of the anxiety that lies within…after all, nearly every other graduate within sight has their superman cape on; hiding their kryptonite of uncertainty just like you. Pretending like you have it all together as you take the next step in life’s journey is just as fictitious as the latest Captain America movie right? Despite each exhilarating moment the film creates, the reality of every superhero film is the same.
IT’S NOT REAL.
So may we deal with reality please? Come on, you can do it…be honest with yourself. You don’t have it all together and you can’t possibly see into the future. Be certain, you will be driven by something or someone; but what will that be? Better yet, what should that be? When the prophet Jeremiah offered the Lord’s response found in chapter 29 verse 11, he similarly could have declared:
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to drive you towards welfare and not for evil, to drive you towards a future and a hope.
Believers often detach God’s givings from their personal responsibility to participate in what He is doing. And while the Bible clearly articulates that God gives freely to all people; this does not pardon our participatory responsibility to actually live out our lives in such a manner that proves the genuineness of our faith is rocksolid. In other words, we each have a spiritually inherent responsibility to recognize what naturally drives us, and instead act upon what should drive us in life.
You See, Bible Believing Christians should aim to distinguish not between good and bad driving motives… No, that would be quite rudimentary. But rather, we should desire to discern the difference between good driving motives and the ultimate driving motive. Understanding this “ultimate driving motive” will make all the difference in living a God honoring life. Why? Because if God is driving our lives towards His perfect purposes, we must perceive and receive the passenger seat he has graciously provided along the journey. Moving in a Contradirectional Path Will Cost You Dearly. So graduate, with the inevitable uncertainty awaiting you, let us consider some of the trending motives that you and I are tempted to wrongly make ultimate.
You See, Bible Believing Christians should aim to distinguish not between good and bad driving motives… No, that would be quite rudimentary. But rather, we should desire to discern the difference between good driving motives and the ultimate driving motive. Understanding this “ultimate driving motive” will make all the difference in living a God honoring life. Why? Because if God is driving our lives towards His perfect purposes, we must perceive and receive the passenger seat he has graciously provided along the journey. Moving in a Contradirectional Path Will Cost You Dearly. So graduate, with the inevitable uncertainty awaiting you, let us consider some of the trending motives that you and I are tempted to wrongly make ultimate.
Driven Towards Independence
And since you’re not yet independent, you’re driven. You want to make your own decisions on your own accord right? You figured that enough years have been contributed to following everyone’s rules right? You’ve done “the good soldier thing,” always submitting to multiple levels of authority such as teachers, parents, coaches, and professors right? Now it’s your time to set the rules. Don’t worry, the drive towards independence is a good thing. We were not created to be entirely dependent upon our parents for our whole lives. God innately placed the growing fire of independence that burns within each of us. Independence means freedom. But what we do with that freedom is what separates us from the unbeliever. And though independence is a necessary part of our development; when it becomes ultimate; sin ALWAYS abounds. Our efforts towards independence often manifests itself as prideful self-sufficiency. In fact, the only way to properly desire independence is to know and hold fast to the ultimate driving motive in your life.
Driven To Experiment.
Graduate, there are so many choices awaiting you just around the corner. With a multitude of life altering directions within your grasp, experimentation often becomes desired. Assuredly, God wants His children to test and evaluate their gifts and talents; agreed? And since He made all things good to display His divine act of love; are we not obligated to experiment with whatsoever we choose? On the contrary, there is a right way to engage in helpful experimentation as you navigate life’s journey. Though everything was made good in the eyes of our Creator, that doesn’t mean all things are specifically good for you. You may not be able to watch the same movies… you may not be able to stay up as late into the night while maintaining your purity … you may not be able to handle that type of income… you may not be able to maintain that relationship. What’s great for another could prove devastating for you. In other words, you must grow in spiritual maturity to recognize various pitfalls before pummeling into them. And since this is true: how do we reconcile our innate drive to experiment in a God honoring fashion? Know this; you will only properly engage in helpful experimentation when you know and hold fast to the ultimate driving motive in your life. You will experiment successfully when your ultimate driving motive is in it’s rightful place.
Driven By Fear.
Fear is real and it permeates our country as we walk further away from Godward living. And as invigorated as you may be to have graduated, an unwelcome companion to our diploma or degree is often fear. You see, the common denominator between all graduates at all levels of every ethnicity, is the drive towards P.S.L.V.H. We all desire deep within our soul to be finally and fully satisfied in our P.S.L.V.H.; and we attach our P.S.L.V.H. to choosing the correct path after graduation. As a result, fear of failure often abounds. You see, when fear begins to consume you, every horrible, possible situation will play out in your mind. Fear feeds irrationality and compromises your ability to think correctly. From that point on, life becomes overwhelming. Instead of choosing decisions that are best for your future, you take the avoidance posture towards what’s comfortable or familiar. Has fear taken a hold of you? The only way to overcome the fear that drives us towards irrationality is to know and hold fast to the correct ultimate driving motive in your life.
Driven Towards Wealth.
Money makes the world go around. If there ever was a truism, it’s the proclamation that money makes the world go round. In fact, there have been robust statistical studies proving that the desire for wealth is second to none among college graduates this year. What a staggering reality! Concurrently, the Bible echoes this certitude warning against the love of wealth above all other temptations. This blog posts wouldn’t even begin to prove helpful if I didn’t challenge the motivation you may have for wealth. And let us remember, the drive towards financial security…or even financial prosperity is an honorable motivation when aligned under the ultimate motivation. The quandary is that our right desire for wealth for God honoring reasons can easily transform into a crooked thirst for wealth for all the wrong reasons. American culture unhelpfully models that increasing your wealth will increase your happiness in life. Dear graduate, I assure you that couldn’t be further from the truth. The pursuit for wealth unrestrained by a transformed heart will always lead to misery and loneliness. The only hope we have to positively leverage wealth for ourselves and others is to know and hold fast to the ultimate driving motive in your life. When submitted under this ultimate driving motive, this desire for wealth can impact the world in amazingly helpful ways.
Driven Towards Inner Tranquility.
Regardless of the face we put on for people all around us… yes even our closest friends and family…we desire peace. The type of peace that resonates within our own conscience, whispering to our heart “Everything is going to be OK” Is that you? The innate desire for inner tranquility runs deep within our souls. For the Bible Believing Christian, we acknowledge that from the moment shalom was broken at the infancy of creation, the entire world has been groaning for a return to peace. This validates why you may feel anxiety towards your future while the inner desire for peace simultaneously drives us towards directional decisions. But how we seek out tranquility matters far greater than even attaining it; for many vices will await your miscalculated judgment call to devour your future. Finding the version of tranquility that will sustain the test of time only occurs when we know and hold fast to the ultimate driving motive in our life. When submitted under this ultimate driving motive, we can seek tranquility with confidence.
Driven Towards Prominence.
There’s something within the crevices of your heart that yearns to be known…to be respected and thought highly of by people. Why is that? What makes fame and popularity so addicting? And why are we discontent when others don’t notice our accomplishments? The question is not “if” we seek validation, but where is the validation we seek coming from? Graduate, to the degree that you chase prominence and validation; the size of the void that longs to be assured that you’re deeply loved by God will grow. And though the unbeliever may not have the spiritual awareness of this truth, they too are searching for validation from their Creator~ namely Jesus Christ. Graduate, has the desire for prominence and validation consumed you? To seek the version of prominence that is God honoring; we must know and hold fast to the ultimate driving motive in our life.
Driven Towards a Revelation of our Purpose.
Not the cheap generic version people often share in fancy soliloquies, but a purpose that is so rocksolid; it would propel you towards not only your destination but a life of contentment and happiness. Isn’t that me and you?
These are some of the terrifyingly-awesome motives prancing around your mind. That’s why you’re so relieved – yet so excited – and overwhelmed. You’re grateful and sad and nervous and confident…all at the same time! In fact, if one more person asks you what’s next, you might just scream, “I DON’T KNOW, BUT WHEN I DO I’LL SEND YOU A POSTCARD!” I get it…I really do. In fact, we all do. I want you to know that it’s OK…that you’re normal. But more importantly, here’s what I want to remind you…here’s how I want to cheer you on:
As you take steps past your graduation, you’ll be tempted to look at all the reasons that drive you from the world’s perspective. There will be many temptations and standards people will place upon your shoulders that God never intended for you to carry. Trust me, I know and I’ve been there. But know this:
These are some of the terrifyingly-awesome motives prancing around your mind. That’s why you’re so relieved – yet so excited – and overwhelmed. You’re grateful and sad and nervous and confident…all at the same time! In fact, if one more person asks you what’s next, you might just scream, “I DON’T KNOW, BUT WHEN I DO I’LL SEND YOU A POSTCARD!” I get it…I really do. In fact, we all do. I want you to know that it’s OK…that you’re normal. But more importantly, here’s what I want to remind you…here’s how I want to cheer you on:
As you take steps past your graduation, you’ll be tempted to look at all the reasons that drive you from the world’s perspective. There will be many temptations and standards people will place upon your shoulders that God never intended for you to carry. Trust me, I know and I’ve been there. But know this:
Results defined by the world will always leave you wanting more, but results defined by God will leave you content and faithful. The world will continue demanding measurable results while God rewards the faithful heart.
That is why we must live our lives in such a way that the ultimate driving motive is valued supremely above all the other driving motives mentioned above. But how do we position ourselves to learn and live with the ultimate driving motive? How do we personally ingest this motives as sweet and supremely desirable above all else? Before we are able to confidently be led by this motive; we must be willing for our posture to change.
But what does that posture look like…..? Read Part 2
Visit The Author HERE
visit the website: MAKING MUCH OF CHRIST MINISTRIES
To learn more about The God who’s ready to walk with you click HERE
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
visit the website: MAKING MUCH OF CHRIST MINISTRIES
To learn more about The God who’s ready to walk with you click HERE
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!