How do you measure success? For many, it is a nice house, functional
car(s), and a well-stocked refrigerator and pantry. Just to have these things makes us richer
than the majority of people in the world.
Of course, we don’t stop there. We
would like our share of electronics, opportunities to eat out on a regular
basis, a few “toys” (name your favorite), and a variety of entertainment
options. If we are a bit more
introspective, we will share our desire for personal health, good family or
friend relationships, a challenging vocation, and a growing relationship with
God.
If I asked you to prepare a list of things that make one
successful, you would pretty quickly come up some of the things I have already
noted. In doing this exercise, we
describe our preferred reality, the type of life we work to create despite
economic downturns, sickness, catastrophes, and relocations. There is nothing inherently wrong with this,
but this perception of reality can become a box that limits us from becoming
what we might as followers of Christ.
In Growing an Engaged Church
, one of the questions that
Albert Winseman suggests that spiritual leaders should ask congregants is, “If
money and time were no object, what would you do for God?” I have used this question in a number of
different settings with various audiences over the years. If the audience is made up of
well-established median adults, I often pick up puzzled reactions and cynical
remarks like, “Well, it’s a little late for that!” But I have also seen skeptical looks on the
faces of young adults when I have asked this question of them. They have already picked their “box” (or had
it picked for them by parents or respected leaders) and are busy reinforcing
it. One group that is often energized by
the question are older adults who are about to retire or have already retired,
but perhaps it is because they have built up some resources and have the flexibility
to try something new!
, one of the questions that
Albert Winseman suggests that spiritual leaders should ask congregants is, “If
money and time were no object, what would you do for God?” I have used this question in a number of
different settings with various audiences over the years. If the audience is made up of
well-established median adults, I often pick up puzzled reactions and cynical
remarks like, “Well, it’s a little late for that!” But I have also seen skeptical looks on the
faces of young adults when I have asked this question of them. They have already picked their “box” (or had
it picked for them by parents or respected leaders) and are busy reinforcing
it. One group that is often energized by
the question are older adults who are about to retire or have already retired,
but perhaps it is because they have built up some resources and have the flexibility
to try something new!
No matter what the age of the person being questioned,
each believer needs to ask himself or herself this question from time to time
as a reality check—where am I, how did I get here, and is this where I really
want to be? This provides us the chance
to reflect on whether the life we are living is the one that best honors God
and uses our gifts for God’s service.
One of most memorable statements by Martin Luther King,
Jr., was “I have a dream.” King’s dream
was a reality check for people in the 1960’s who still struggled with the place
of African-Americans in society. The
dream was not based on financial or temporal resources but a preferred future
for all Americans—no matter their race or status in society. We continue to be challenged by that dream.
Have you lost your dream of following God’s calling? I encourage you to recover it.
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