My Friend Needs a Job

"Desperation tends to bring about an extreme search for God and an extreme offer from the world to stop you from having Him." - Yours truly

 

I have a friend who desperately needs a job.

 

But he wants a life.

 

He has recently left the "party lifestyle" of his youth that involves going out to the bars every night, partying it up with people, and charming everyone on the scene. He was very good at this lifestyle, and it called his name every day when the sun went down. But when the sun came up, with last night's after-effects lingering, he would be full of regret, yes, but more than that, he would be full of a lingering belief that "there has to be more than this."

 

It wasn't long before he found "others" out there that have the same lingering belief, some living in it, some trying to figure out how to live in it. Since then, he has left his "life of the night" and become a "child of the day"...feeding the part of him that believes, and starving the part of him that hinders belief.

 

But now, he suddenly and desperately needs a job. And there is something about needing a job (which is a weird combination of "making money" and "finding a life") that brings about the competing feelings of urgency and reflection.

 

He started by calling a friend for a sales job. He got a good word from him that opened up a real possibility for a position. And he gave me that good news, but with a spark in his eye he said, "I'm not feelin' it." This excited me as he unpacked a vision he had for his life that involved finding a job that "makes a difference" in people's hearts. He rushed me to the computer and showed me a you-tube video about a difference-making group that got him jacked up. It would involve wholesale revolution and change for my friend...a move to another state, a huge step of faith, help from others to enable him to do it...and his eyes lit up as much as he was lighting up the room as he spoke.

 

That was last week.

 

This week, a variety of obstacles have pretty much cooled his "dream" and made it feel to him like it's impossible to achieve it anytime soon. So he called another friend to ask if he had anything that might give him a job.

 

So he calls me today telling me about this, and he has a job offer. It's for the company Budweiser...and his job would be called "Contemporary Marketing Manager". You know what his job description would be? It would involve going out to the bars every night, partying it up with people, and charming everyone on the scene. He'd hand out free beer, and get this, they are asking him how much he wants to make.

 

I've heard of this happening many, many times to people. But the most famous time is recorded in the Bible, when Satan made the extreme offer of "the world" to stop Jesus from living "the Life". "The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

 

My buddy is in very good company tonight, with a very big decision to make. Pray that he, and all of us, as it becomes our turn to face this choice between life or death, God or the World, a paycheck or a passion...pray that he makes the same choice as Christ. Which goes like this...

 

"Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" 

 

I think it goes without saying that Jesus said 'no' to the short-term, materially-rewarding, easy-as-pie choice that would have given him the world and a paycheck, and instead took the long-term, eternally-rewarding, costly choice that gave him life for the world and a passion.

 

When you make this difficult choice, GG, I have no doubts whatsoever that what happened to Jesus next will also happen to you: "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him."

 

 

 

 

The successful minister's life

"I am very clear about something very important right now, in this moment.  When we are aware of the many crises that befall and befuddle us daily and everywhere as human beings, we actually become better human beings - more caring, more compassionate, more focused, more purposeful, and as a result more fulfilled.  When we relax and go oblivious, we become "fat, dumb, and happy," and totally worthless to ourselves and others, and we appreciate nothing.  I think there's a clue here to the answer to the question, "Why look for the death and suffering?", and it is to find and celebrate life as the fragile and unspeakably beautiful gift that it is, that I'm totally aware of today, and we'll see what I notice tomorrow." - Jim Spivey

 

"The people who opposed Jesus weren't content to only attack the practice of his faith, but the people with whom he practiced them. 'Here is a friend of tax collectors and sinners," they said, and 'why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners,' they questioned.  Because,' Jesus replied, 'I haven't come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" - A thought inspired by a book about Lent that my friend Bro. Marcus sent me for my birthday 

 

There are two lives beckoning me as a "minister".

 

One life I will title the "Successful Minister's Life": This life asks me to invest in becoming a better and better public speaker, it invites me to teaching assignments that would require more time in my office with my head buried in books, it wants me to travel far and wide for speaking engagements at very worthwhile events, and it suggests that on top of that, that I would do well to fit in the writing of books. Each of these things have their own corresponding opportunities for the growth of how many I can influence for Christ, financial rewards with which to bless my family and give to the Kingdom's cause, and life-long learning in the doing of good things.

 

 I'm not judging those who live it, nor am I stating that this life doesn't make a God-honest, life-changing impact on people, but I can honestly say that immersing myself into this life would for me be a treacherous act towards Christ, a betrayal of my family and my message, and the death of me.

 

The other life I will title the "successful minister's life" (Sorry, I couldn't come up with anything better than the same name with lower-case letters...but I think this adequately draws a visual picture of how easily the first could overcome my practice of the second): This life asks me to invest in becoming a deeper and deeper lover of those around me, it invites me to people assignments that would require more time out of my office with my heart buried in relationships, it wants me to travel far and wide into the "heart engagements" with the hurts of those living right around me, and it suggests that on top of that, that I would do well to fit all of this in just as soon as I'm faithful in the daily practice of it all with my family. Each of these things have their own corresponding opportunities for the growth of how deeply I can influence someone for Christ, financial faith with which to bless my family and give the to the Kingdom's cause, and life-long learning in the doing of the best things.

 

I'm not saying that I have it perfectly nailed, or that this life doesn't sometimes include some of the practices of the former life, but I can honestly say that immersing myself into this life is for me faithfulness towards Christ, an honoring of my family and my message, and the death of me.

 

The former life, would cost me less and stroke my ego more, two things that I've learned I am inclined towards, but would leave me "fat, dumb, and happy." It would leave me living defensively, managing my life, and caring way too much about whether other people "are changing" or not in order for me to pretend I was successful.

 

The latter life, costs me everything (which turns out to be less), and strokes my passion more (which turns out be a higher trip than my ego has ever provided), two things that I've also learned that I am inclined towards, but this life leaves me "joyful, peaceful, and loving", and hanging out with people the people that Jesus said he has come to call (of which, I am one).

 

I'm not pretending that my choices are as black and white as all this. I actually am investing in becoming a better and better public speaker, and taking teaching assignments that put me in books in my office, and I'm going to LA in two weeks to a speaking engagement, and this blog, of course, is a form of my fitting in the "writing of books". But I choose not to let these things use, castrate, diminish, overwhelm, or distract me from my life and plug me into a pre-defined "ministry matrix" from which I would need to be saved all over again. Instead, I use them, ever-so-cautiously, to deliver the best possible life to and from my heart....the life of Christ.

 

I love you all for your unique and varied contribution to it...you are highly prized and valued.