*i read another book (thanks to tami takamine) that pretty much describes where i'm at:
linking it for those who are interested.
tldr; your twenties are a good time to figure out your life and put Christ at the helm presented in the most non-cheesy way plausible. basically: go figure it out, try new things, and live life.
my take on it; it's comforting to know everyone else doesn't have it figured out. that doesn't really mean that i'm in any better shape, but i guess it's nice to know i'm on the curve of the grading scale? bah.
*i have been scrambling over the past month saying this:
"crap, i'm lost and i don't know what i'm going to do with my life...oh gosh, i'll just cling onto the most promising idea/job that will lead to a secure life and everything will be good...&that's what it's all about, right?"
i mean...
a secure life is what everyone wants, &it's what i want, right?
a secure life provides for a future family, &that's what women want, right?
a secure life is what my parents want, &they'll be proud to bring up me in conversation w/ friends&fam bam, right?
a secure life is what i want to bring up in conversation with people, so that they are impressed and give me respect, right?
a secure life is what will provide me happiness, right?
a secure life will keep my soul content, right?
RIGHT!?
or maybe this is the biggest lie ever? a lie so well conceived that charles ponzi himself would be impressed!
the greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn't exist.
perhaps...the very thing that i was keen on investing and buying into is really the biggest waste of my life...and a life both unrealized & wasted in potential or a life not lived...
Matthew 25:14-30
New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Bags of Gold
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’)
so i thought...what is a secure life anyways?
in my humble opinion: a secure life is an illusion that we as humans create to provide "safety nets" that will protect us against the unknown that is out there. we put our hopes and dreams above these "safety nets" and pray they hold if things don't go according to plan.
i believe there is some wisdom in a secure life, but i don't necessarily believe that it's an "end all-be all" in that it's going to save you, bring you lasting happiness, or a sense of completion.
that's what a secure life is really...a little bit of truth mixed in with a lie. a half truth is still a lie, is it not?
...i could be wrong, but i don't think i am...
tell how many stories have you heard about people who have acquired vast wealth...a secure life...and then wished they'd done something else with their life?
and how many stories have you heard about people who lived a selfless life who in their last moments regretted that the life they lived and wished instead to have acquired money or a secure life instead...? yeah, i haven't heard any of the latter and if you can point me to one, i'd be impressed.
ok so there's a point to all of this...
i have been having a lot of talks with a close friend, who probably is the single most influential person that i have talked to in my collegiate career...Ray Kim
and the sick thing is, i think he has the twenty something thing figured out.
he's managed to keep pointing me to the Cross in the most honest and real way.
Ray asked me what I want to do with my life- i mean who hasn't asked me this lately?
I childishly paraded the idea of getting into social media marketing and sales of some sort. I mean, it's been working like a charm with my family, friends and everyone without second thought...why wouldn't it work with Ray?
He quickly brushed that to the side and said, "That's what you really want to do?"
"Huh? Why not? What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing (smirk), it's just...you want to become a number? C'mon tell me what do you really want to do with your life, ...i mean, let me ask you this...what do you love? just keep it simple"
keep it simple...and then it was clear to me...
there are two things in life that i love and take joy in... which is helping others and God.
he basically said that there's only one thing we need to worry about...
and that's seeking the kingdom of God.
Matthew 6:
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
did you miss it?
there it was.
if you didn't get the answer to your twenty somethings
it was right there.
tldr; seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you is the answer to the twenty somethings.
so what does this look like for me?
it means that i shouldn't look to worry about the money, the money will worry about itself. i don't mean that if you have a high paying career, it equates a secure life, that's not the correlation i'm trying to make. The point is that no matter what you endeavor, do the thing you were created to do, and do it to the best of your ability. Do this job, as well as your life, do this all by seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
it says it clear as day, that if i seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things will be added to you...aka let the rest worry about itself.
that takes a good amount of trust and faith. it's this seemingly opposing life contrary to what the world says...store up monies, etc...a secure life. and i don't think i'll look back at a secure life on my deathbed and be content. i'll probably feel like the guy who buried his talent.
yeah, i don't want to be that guy.
Post a Comment