I always have thought of life as a huge collection of chapters, creating your life story by its end. Last Friday represented the end of a major chapter in my life: college graduation. I just earned my B.A. in political science from Fresno Pacific University, after years of hard work.
Here is a selfie from the graduation. As your average 21 year-old, I had to get a selfie at some point of the event. (And trust me, there were countless others!) The reason I bring this up comes back to the idea of life-chapters. This face represents many lessons, celebrations, tribulations, and transformations in the past four years. Looking back at high school senior and college freshman Jake, I see a guy lost in his own ambitions and selfish desires.
I’ve always been a dreamer. Entering college, I had huge dreams of making tons of money, having a huge impact in the political world, and creating a name for myself in society. I worked hard to further myself in college community, gain respect through student leadership, and become well-liked by going to college parties.
This sounds pretty normal. As Americans, we are consistently taught about individualism, hard work, personal gain, and growing wealth. College is our stepping stone for success in the world. My career choices always changed, but remained tied to that ideal of personal success and gain.
Then, a trip to Thailand changed everything:
This was my first time out of North America, and the Lord used it to change my entire perspective on life. Everything from the nature, people, poverty, tribulations, and celebrations shaped my heart for something new. It wasn’t a total 180 degree shift, but it was the spark that ignited a fire of enlightenment.
You see, I was all wrong. Dare I say it, many American Christians are wrong. A life solely focused on personal successes and gain doesn’t lead to fulfillment. A life of furthering one’s reputation doesn’t lead to true contentment.
Earthy success, wealth, and accomplishments should never be my focus.
My one primary goal should be to live a life glorifying of Christ, revealing Him to all through His love.
I have realized many of the things I believed to have earned were actually given to me by God. It is the Lord who has blessed me with my life, not my own actions and work. As such, the proper response is to live a life in servitude to the One who blessed me first.
1 Corinthians 15:10 has become one of my favorite verses, becoming a great symbol of this truth:
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.“
WOW. I hope your mind was blown like mine is whenever I read it.
This statement by the Apostle Paul has become like a roadmap for how I am striving to face life. Paul, one of the greatest examples of a Christian life who painfully labored to spread the Gospel to all nations, takes no credit for his success. Yes, he recognizes the extent of his hard work. But, he also recognizes that his success isn’t because of such work, but rather by the grace of our God continually watching over Him.
Paul’s words and actions are how I wish to define my life. Any success I will have in life is because of the goodness of my Lord. The proper response is to simply work hard to glorify Him and advance His Kingdom.
As I sat in my graduation listening to speeches of our future successes and the great name we will make for ourselves, I found myself uninterested in what originally motivated me. Power, wealth, and success no longer drives me as much as it used to. Sure, I still care to be successful. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. But, serving God has become a much stronger call for my life.
January 2017 cannot come soon enough. I am ready to put my selfish desires and societal expectations aside for a year of complete and radical abandonment for my Lord. I am ready for the World Race to serve as trampoline for a life of Kingdom-building. Sure, I could be called into government, public policy, and politics once I return. But, it will be for the expansion of His Kingdom, not personal gain.
As I conclude this post, I wish to bring up the idea of chapters again. I am currently in a weird limbo, finishing a huge chapter of my life whilst preparing for the start of a new one in January. The Lord is already blessing me with a possible job until I leave, and ample time to focus on fundraising.
These next 8-months will be solely focused on preparation for the World Race, through spiritual growth, fundraising, and the many tasks needing to be completed. Through it all, I will remember 1 Corinthians 15:10. Yes, I will be working daily, but my success will be solely because of the grace our good Father.
“Yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me”.
JM
