Worry

I just finished reading an article about Toby Mac.  He is a Christian music superstar, rather, he is a music superstar.  There are not many artists that have sold over 11 million copies of anything.  By any reckoning, that is a successful career.

But, what it left me with was a question.  What are our purposes?  I mean, I can't sing or dance.  They were not things left in my bag of talents.  I am unable to dunk a basketball.  I am not fast enough to play defensive back, and my swing was not big enough to prove dangerous in baseball.  I don't have an inheritance or familial connection to wealth and privilege.

I am just an ordinary white guy.  I fit squarely in the center of the largest demographic in the nation.  I am of average height (48th percentile), I am of average income (not enough), and I am of average health (no limiting disabilities).  I am ordinary by all definitions that you can research.

But, I am desperately unique at the same time.  I conform to statistics and demographics, but nothing that you can describe by numbers, percentages or probabilities define me.  I am totally unique and completely indefinable by use of parameters.  I am millions of orders of magnitude more than some governmental classification.

I started with Toby Mac, and I will circle back.  I will add a name, in similar situation, Mac Powell from Third Day 7 million albums, big numbers.  Clearly, these are phenomenally successful artists, and as they are also two of my favorites, I have some tenuous connection with them.  But, I would bet my next two or three pay checks, they would tell you that they are not special because of music.  They would tell you they are special because God picked them for the purpose of adopting a child.  I have heard both of their testimonies over this, (I clearly have not had the opportunity to sit down and have a heart to heart with them.)

I think that is one of the key messages I have been struggling with the last few days.  You and I were created to be something special, in a certain place, in a certain time, in a certain way.  It is not about athletic or musical or academic talent.  It is all about connections and personal relations.  As we get further along in life, I think we get more keenly aware of this.

I don't know what that point in time and relations is, in my case.  I could be 20 years past it, I could be 20 years from it.  I could be fully prepared for it, or I could have a few more mountains to climb to get the proper perspective and preparation.  But, I think it is one of the things that presupposes us to anxiety and drama.

We all are convinced of our purpose, at various points in time.  Yet, we always find, after the fact, that there is more ahead of us, than there has ever been behind us.  It is a part of our nature, to catalog and contextualize things.  Some of us (me most keenly,) are much more needy when it comes to listing and cataloging.  It is part of that deep mysterious question, WHY?

Matthew 6:31-34 So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefor do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We worry about our purpose and our place, because we worry about our success.  We worry about our talents, because we worry about our progress.  What we should be worrying about is God, and how we reflect him in our lives.

I don't have a handle on it, I don't do it well, and I am not exactly what you would call an example.  But, I am in the work.  I am in the effort.  I am in the journey.  For that, I am an example.  I use Jesus as my example.  He had no home, no 401K, no parachute plan, no security, no insurance and no prospects.  Yet, he changed the entire world in active ministry that was likely less than 36 months long.  I read somewhere that there have been over 4 billion Christians since the time of Christ.  I have no idea how they got that number, but it is an example number.

Toby Mac, tremendously successful, 11 million sold.  Mac Powell, hugely successful, 7 million sold.  Jesus, light of the world, 4 billion saved.  There is no way to compare to that, and we are not called to.

We are called to worry about today, to seek God's righteousness and his kingdom.  Let the rest worry about itself.  It did not end well for Jesus, but it ended miraculously for the world.  And, Jesus says, in Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

He did the heavy lifting.  I know that I struggle with the whole worry thing.  I am wired to worry and plan and plot and strategize.  It is through and through what I was made to do in this world, and it makes me good at what I do.  But, it doesn't necessarily make me good at being me.  That is the difference.

Use your talents where appropriate, and use your trust and love where commanded.  Seek the kingdom and the righteousness, and do your best in all the rest of your life.  Give the worry over it up to God, cause he controls it all anyway.  Worrying will not make one thing different, except your stress, your health and your relationship with God.

I know of what I speak.  I am an expert.  And, it can consume you if you let it.  That is a rough way to live.  I know.  Try living the other way.  It is hard to switch gears, but so worth it.

GLYASDI