Don't Settle!

Have you ever set and wondered if you could leave one message for your kids, what would it be?  I actually wasn't thinking about it but one thought keeps resonating in me.  Maybe it is a message to myself, or maybe it is something I am to tell my children.  Maybe it's because my children are going through stages of their lives that they are making decisions that will have impact for their life.  Or maybe it's because last month we went through a one week period that we lost two family members and a family friend in the matter of seven days.  Share the message now is what I keep hearing.

The message that I need to share is ...

You see, too many times in life we settle for what is comfortable.  But in being comfortable, we don't see growth.  It is when we get stretched outside of our comfort zones that we see the greatest growth, the greatest potential, the greatest accomplishments.  But don't think there won't be challenges or disappointments along the way.  There will be.  But during those moments, we grow.  2 Chronicles 12:9 (NIV) tells us, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."  We can take pride during those challenges because we know that Christ's power and His strength will guide us through to the other side.

We can take solace in knowing that when we don't settle for safe and we live the life of our greatest potential, it is the life that God intended for us.  Jeremiah 29:11, a verse that most of us know, says, "For I know the plan that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  God has a life designed for us and it is a life that we will succeed in.  It's His plan, we are just living it out.  But playing it safe sometimes isn't the plan God had for us.  God wants the most out of us, and that might not be the easy way out.

What does all of this mean?  It means that if you are going to be a teacher, be the best teacher.  If you are going to build a building, build the best building.  If you are going to be an athletic trainer, be the best.  Find your niche, create your path, and work hard to be the best possible version of you that you can be.  You may lose sleep but you didn't settle.

Questions

For whatever reason, I tend to ask Tami weird questions at the oddest times.  Today was no different.  After we were worshipping together this morning, the same thing happened.  I asked her, "At what times am I most attractive to you?"  Tami, being the most political supporter that I could ever want in my corner, responds with, "Always."  Now I know this isn't true because there are times that just aren't good.  Anyway, I appreciate her attempt at making me feel good. 

Now Tami, maybe because she thinks differently didn't return the question.  But that never stops me.  My next line, "Do you want to know when I have found you most attractive?"  She plays along, probably with a little nervousness, and says, "Sure." 

Yes, here is my opportunity to get to the point that I was waiting to get to.  Here is what I said.  "I find you most attractive when I can see the love of God shining through you.  Those times in LA when you were holding and interacting with the children or praying over an addict on Skid Row.  Those times when you completely get lost in worship and don't care who is around.  Those are the times that you are most attractive to me."

This is because Tami allows herself to be an expression of God's love.  You see, Tami cannot love me to her most extent if she doesn't love God first.  We are told in Scripture that we are to love God first.  Matthew 22:37-40 tells us, "And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.'” We must love God before we can love others.  And we express love to others because God is love. 

Tami usually gets quiet in moments like this but it gives us both time to reflect on what we were just talking about.  If we can just learn to express the love that God has shown us, then we will learn to serve one another and love one another.  I couldn't love Tami to the fullest extent until I felt the love of God guiding my own life.