July 3, 2016
Part II: Aligning Your Posture
You’re In Transition….
Dear graduate,
And with this transition comes the uncertainty of the future ahead. In Part 1, I presented 7 dominating factors that drive our motivation throughout our journey of life. Driving motives that are inherently good, yet lack the ability to serve as ultimately best. We uncovered that universally, all people desire to live with P.S.L.V.H. This is only attainable when we know and hold fast to what should be ultimately motivating within our lives. So what is that? What prepares us to actually be led by a motivation that is so unnatural to us? How does the unnatural become our norm? You must… align your posture.
Let Me Share with You a Story
When I watch presentations, I do so with a level of intentionality so as to garner as many tidbits as possible. This proved true on a rainy day in which I found myself watching a presentation of Billy Graham. He was addressing supporters and staff members across his organization at the renowned BGEA. Beyond his gifting as an orator of God’s Word; I found him to be amazingly relatable as he courageously addressed the team. There were numerous quote-worthy affirmations he shared, but one in particular stood out above the rest. As the presentation approached its finale; he said,
“I think there are some of you in this room who will receive a greater reward in heaven than I will.”
As I gazed across my screen intently watching for people’s reactions; there was a universal skepticism across their faces that showed their repudiation. I could almost read their thoughts in a cartoon bubble above their head that said,
“We love our leader, but surely Mr. Graham is engaging in hyperbole. There is no way I could possibly be rewarded more than this giant of the faith.”
And could you blame them? Billy Graham is universally recognized as one of the top evangelists of the modern era. Many refer to him as the “father of the faith.” He has personally witnessed to MILLIONS of people and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to Christ. No Christian leader has spent more time influencing multiple presidents of our country than Mr. Graham. With a multi-million dollar corporation that mobilizes their resources across the world; there truly is no rival to the impact he has made on the nations at first glance. Apparently, Billy Graham instantaneously discerned what I also felt from the audience. Namely, unbelief. With a measure of humility only granted to those who love Christ, he gently replied,
“God cares FAR more about your faithfulness, not your fruitfulness.”
Good night! The audiences’ moment of enlightenment was almost palpable. And while this truth sank into their heart, you could most feel the inner warfare within each individual ensue. On one hand, they knew what Mr. Graham had just spoken ringed true… after all, these were Bible Believing Christian leaders of his organization. Yet on the other hand, there was a lifetime of programming they each had been taught to believe regarding what is considered “valuable” in this country. “The more you produce the greater you are,” accurately embodies the American motto true? Consider this shorter version; “Bigger is better…smaller means less relevant.” Is this not consistently and subliminally communicated throughout nearly every platform, social network, and TV program?
So Graduate; I implore you to ruminate about why faithfulness over fruitfulness is critical to better positioning your posture to both know and hold fast to what should be the ultimate driving motive within your life. And don’t worry; I’ll start the conversation right now. As unpopular as this may sound; you and I are not entitled to the fruit of our labor. Roistering in the fruit of your labor is not what we deserve…instead it is a gift given to us solely as a divine act of love from God. And while promotions at work, chasing adventures, and building your business are honorable pursuits that often lead to greater fruitfulness; they must not become demands we place on God that become ultimate. Why is this pertinent? Because holding requirements upon God that He never promised always leads to disappointment which ultimately manifests itself as degrees of unbelief. In other words, when we set an expectation upon God as if He promised it to us, yet He hasn’t; we are prone to question God’s reliability when He does not answer. Can’t you see? Questioning God’s reliability is one degree of unbelief…questions about His goodness would be another. This can lead to devastating doubt that yearns to be fulfilled by self-sufficiency and good motives that become disfigured into ultimate motives.
So Graduate; I implore you to ruminate about why faithfulness over fruitfulness is critical to better positioning your posture to both know and hold fast to what should be the ultimate driving motive within your life. And don’t worry; I’ll start the conversation right now. As unpopular as this may sound; you and I are not entitled to the fruit of our labor. Roistering in the fruit of your labor is not what we deserve…instead it is a gift given to us solely as a divine act of love from God. And while promotions at work, chasing adventures, and building your business are honorable pursuits that often lead to greater fruitfulness; they must not become demands we place on God that become ultimate. Why is this pertinent? Because holding requirements upon God that He never promised always leads to disappointment which ultimately manifests itself as degrees of unbelief. In other words, when we set an expectation upon God as if He promised it to us, yet He hasn’t; we are prone to question God’s reliability when He does not answer. Can’t you see? Questioning God’s reliability is one degree of unbelief…questions about His goodness would be another. This can lead to devastating doubt that yearns to be fulfilled by self-sufficiency and good motives that become disfigured into ultimate motives.
OK…Get Ready to Brace Yourself
There are many things you will accomplish in life that you will never receive credit for. And that’s OK. Once you learn that there’s a God that truly loves you, His unwavering acceptance of you will be more than satisfying. It will be a key ingredient that better aligns your posture to receive P.S.L.V.H. As a result, we then are well-equipped with the foundation, sturdy enough to live by what should be each of our ultimate driving motivations for life.
Chasing Impact Will Never Fulfill You.
When you thirst for the spotlight, run away… fast; and remember that the greatest work often transpires with the least of people in the least of areas. Graduate, nothing will expose the selfish nature of your heart like the dissatisfaction associated with exerting yourself towards a individual in need…or the emotional ecstasy you crave to be “known” as a difference maker among the crowd. Don’t be like that.
True story: When I first started out as a student ministries pastor, a church leader I worked alongside once shared that the most effective leaders understand that their focus should be on making the largest impact possible to the largest quantity of people attainable. I was challenged to spend less time investing individually so that my influence would spread wider. To not do so would be to have less effectiveness. I was cautioned that how I was stewarding my office hours would not lead to desirable results. This conflicted with me. Having a large impact was good; but was it best? Naturally, I tried to honor the request; but overtime, John 15:13 reverberated within my heart and I knew God’s desire for me was infinitely wiser.
Graduates, you too will hear statements such as these. You must grow in wisdom to discern right from wrong…truth from error…selflessness from selfishness…Good motives from better motives. And if you gaze intently into the life and character of some of the greatest Christian leaders to have walked this planet; you will see the humble sacrifices they made to a few individuals.
True story: When I first started out as a student ministries pastor, a church leader I worked alongside once shared that the most effective leaders understand that their focus should be on making the largest impact possible to the largest quantity of people attainable. I was challenged to spend less time investing individually so that my influence would spread wider. To not do so would be to have less effectiveness. I was cautioned that how I was stewarding my office hours would not lead to desirable results. This conflicted with me. Having a large impact was good; but was it best? Naturally, I tried to honor the request; but overtime, John 15:13 reverberated within my heart and I knew God’s desire for me was infinitely wiser.
Graduates, you too will hear statements such as these. You must grow in wisdom to discern right from wrong…truth from error…selflessness from selfishness…Good motives from better motives. And if you gaze intently into the life and character of some of the greatest Christian leaders to have walked this planet; you will see the humble sacrifices they made to a few individuals.
Jesus is Our Supreme Example.
With countless needs from a swelling crowd all around Him; He perfected the imagery of sacrificial living into a few. Nearly 80% of all recorded teachings of Jesus were aimed at His small group of disciples as opposed to the large crowds. There is not one occurrence of Jesus teaching the slightest iota about “expanding one’s reach.” Ruminate on the implications of this fact. The world’s largest religion was established by a single leader investing into a few! In a world consumed by insatiable desires for bigger and better; we must recognize truth within the character and personhood of Jesus Christ…What Happened to the Student Ministries? By God’s grace, I continued to pour into those same six or seven individuals and our youth group expanded massively! We grew from around 14 students to over 120 students in just over 12 months; representing over half of our church’s congregation…Praise Christ! And to this day, those seven or eight young people have grown into young men and women who love the Lord their God with all their heart and all their soul. Many of them are effectively living their lives, making a difference in MASSIVE ways…all because someone decided they were enough to be invested in! Graduate…Be that someone.
Be Faithful with What’s in Front of You
Graduate, there’s no better way to position your posture then working hard with what has been given to you. Character will always outlast your skill-set and your obedience will always trump your calling. Do the work in front of you and don’t linger. There’s no magical potion. Finding your purpose or calling often occurs by experimenting with a variety of avenues. Awaiting for a magical moment in which your purpose levitates towards you on a golden horse should be left for the superhero movies. But if you want to be a real superhero for Jesus; you must work with all your might and all your heart in whatever has been given to you today. I assure you, if you wake up every day with this mindset you will quickly be on the path towards a purpose filled life. I too found my passions by trying different things. My character was built in the search, not the destination. Even when you find and do what you love, it turns out it is still just a lot of work. Enjoy the work in front of you—but don’t keep trying to get to the next thing.
Dream, But Hold Those Dreams Loosely
It’s tempting to hold on to things long after it’s helpful right? Dreams. Goals. Relationship. Even places. If you passionately live life with any level of intensity; if there’s any visionary bone within your body… this is such an easy habit to fall prey to. I personally can attest to the difficulty in breaking this type of habit. Can’t you see? It’s terribly hard to surrender your dreams to God; right? We want to be able to say, “My name is_____. This is who I am, and this is what I do” with confidence. We attempt to expedite the process of finding ourselves, our paths, our people, our callings… our stuff. We name it and claim it, and then when it’s time to surrender it, we falter.. Pout.. Or worse quit altogether. Why?. Because we didn’t get our way. Don’t be like that. God wants us to live with open hands towards His desires for our life. This aligns our posture well and eliminates fear. And you don’t want to live by fear. Manufacturing your dreams into existence instead of trusting God to orchestrate the events of your life only leads to spiritual wrestling, soul aching, and further distance between you and your Father. It’s OK to dream… just make sure to trust Him when you wake up.
In a World of Self-Promotion—Promote Someone Else.
If you put yourself somewhere, you have to keep yourself there. How exhausting. Why? Because you’re fighting for what has not been entrusted to you. I’ve watched young ambitious men fight for what they were not yet equipped for. Instead of waiting to be called up, they called themselves up…Every time the results were catastrophic. Like a vehicle destined for an extensive road trip with inefficient gasoline; the individual who tries to drive their life story towards destinations that God hasn’t equipped them for (the gasoline); eventually needs rescuing from the side of the road. Don’t be like that person! God desires something wholly different for you and I. We must learn to grow exceedingly comfortable enjoying people’s successes rather than fighting them for it. And here’s the bonus…you will maintain great relationships with the people you’ve poured your life into instead of losing great people God may have sent you.
Graduate, there are indeed terrifyingly awesome times ahead. And life promises to throw you curveballs when you least expect them. But if you learn to make God the Lord of Your Decisions while proceeding towards this new adventure; I promise you’ll be well on your way to the life that God always intended for you to live. If you affirm others, hold your dreams loosely, hold fast to faithfulness, and leave “the impacting” to the Lord… if you can leave the outcomes to God; your posture will FINALLY be positioned to be driven by what should ultimately motivate you. Lets conclude next time with this motive. Read Part 3
Graduate, there are indeed terrifyingly awesome times ahead. And life promises to throw you curveballs when you least expect them. But if you learn to make God the Lord of Your Decisions while proceeding towards this new adventure; I promise you’ll be well on your way to the life that God always intended for you to live. If you affirm others, hold your dreams loosely, hold fast to faithfulness, and leave “the impacting” to the Lord… if you can leave the outcomes to God; your posture will FINALLY be positioned to be driven by what should ultimately motivate you. Lets conclude next time with this motive. Read Part 3
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!