Stepping Away From Security
This previous week I had the privilege of hearing from my pastor Craig Groeschel talk about 10 things he’s learned from 15 years of ministry at LifeChurch.tv.
The first thing on his list was this:
“To step toward your destiny, you must step away from security.”
I turned to my wife Erin and briefly smiled. She recently wrote a blog post about our journey from California (known, safe, and secure) to Oklahoma (huh?). Although our move across the country was difficult for us, we can now easily say that this is where God wants us. At a critical point in our lives, we stepped away from security and stepped into the craziest and most fulfilling ride of our lives.
I smiled and looked down towards my notes. ”2”, I wrote, ready for the next point in Craig’s list.
Wait, that’s it? I’m done? Why is it that we sometimes think that once we’ve walked through a difficult decision in our life, we can simply check that “spiritual lesson” off our list?
“Well, God taught us about stepping away from security. Glad we learned that one. What’s next?” Do I honestly think that God brought us through the pain of leaving our families and friends just so we could add to our “lessons learned” trophy shelf?
Two things I’ve learned about God in this area:
- Rarely will God push you far BEYOND your breaking point, however,
- God will frequently push you TO your breaking point.
God wants you on your knees. God wants you fully reliant on Him. God did not have Erin and I go through that season of discomfort simply to tuck it away and become satisfied with previous spiritual successes. And I need to be ready for what’s next, because God isn’t done with me. God will require me to step out of my security more and more — this was just the first lesson. This past season was so drastic only because it’s what God needed to do to shake me from my slumber.
But I’m awake now. I’m listening. And that’s exactly where He wants me to be … so I can learn and respond to what’s next … to whatever happens to be “Lesson 2.”
Hallelujah, I’m caving in
Hallelujah, I’m caving in—Switchfoot, “Always”
Hallelujah, I’m in love again
Hallelujah, I’m a wretched man
Hallelujah, every breath is a second chance
Being Good With People
Why is “being good with people” so diminished as a competency? Is it because we can’t easily measure and quantify it? I think it’s an art, which means that the person who provides it is an artist.—Seth Godin, “Linchpin”
Not Giving Gifts
One of the reasons people give for not giving gifts is that they can’t afford it. Gifts don’t have to cost money, but they always cost time and effort. If you’re in a panic about money, those two things are hard to find. The reason these people believe they can’t afford it, though, is that they’ve so bought into consumer culture that they’re in debt or have monthly bills that make no sense at all.
Great bosses and world-class organizations
Great bosses and world-class organizations hire motivated people, set high expectations, and give their people room to become remarkable.—Seth Godin, “Linchpin”
Walk away quietly in any direction
Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses…climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energies, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.—John Muir
5-Star Movies
The topic at lunch today with Adam Bouse and Alex Tran? Favorite movies. It’s hard for me to remember them all, but Netflix can tell me how many movies I’ve given a glorious 5-star rating. Here they are (in no particular order):
- 12 Monkeys
- Snatch
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Finding Nemo
- Fight Club
- Training Day
- 2 Days in Paris
- Office Space
- So I Married an Axe Murderer
- True Lies
- The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Seabiscuit
- Die Hard 2: Die Harder
- Once Upon a Time in Mexico
- The Sixth Sense
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Black Pearl
- The Matrix
- Band of Brothers
- The Pianist
- The Usual Suspects
- About Schmidt
- Kill Bill: Vol. 1
- Mystic River
- Insomnia
- Fletch
- Reservoir Dogs
- The Bourne Ultimatum
- Trainspotting
- Beverly Hills Cop III
- Up
- Kill Bill: Vol. 2
- The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy)
- Airplane!
- The Princess Bride
- American History X
- This Is Spinal Tap
- Trading Places
- Primal Fear
- The Jerk
- Amelie
- The Red Violin
- The Green Mile
- Les Miserables
- Three Amigos
- Parenthood
- Clue
- The Negotiator
- Radiohead: Meeting People Is Easy
- Donnie Darko
- Tombstone
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
- Schindler’s List
- The Fugitive
- Memento
- Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
- Lethal Weapon 3
- Patriot Games
- Collateral
- I, Robot
- The Bourne Supremacy
- Life Is Beautiful
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Gladiator
Hi there, I'm Jon.
Writer. Musician. Adventurer. Nerd.
Purveyor of GIFs and dad jokes.