Life a Weblog for Young Adults

A year ago a Christian college near Chicago asked me to speak to their students. It was that university’s spiritual-life week: three days set aside for the students and faculty to focus their attention on God things. … Like with many speaking opportunities, when I visited this university, I met a number of students who could relate to my personal narrative, including Zack, a twenty-one-year-old senior. The shy religion major approached me after the final evening.

I heard an interesting observation once about the difference in how men and women answer the request, “Tell me about yourself.” Guys tend to immediately start jabbering about what they do—their talents and accomplishments, their job, how they spend their leisure time, etc. Girls, on the other hand, generally take the approach of focusing on who they are in relation to what kind of family they grew up in, brothers and sisters, how they relate to their friends, whether they are extroverted or introverted. In all reality girls answer that question a lot better.

I grew up in southwest Texas, but when it came time for college, my parents encouraged me to apply to schools on the East Coast, hoping I would receive a good Ivy League-type education. What they got as a bonus was a Christian daughter. I thought my parents might be surprised by my decision, but I was completely blown away by their anger and very deep regret.

For me the biggest obstacle in being available to be used by God is my own suspicions and doubts about who I am. Often I feel like I need to reach the next plateau in my study or in my relationships or in my career in order to be used by God. Most of us deal with some level of doubt in regard to our abilities. For many of us it is a strong negative force and can be at times debilitating. It is pride in its truest form.

When I was young, no other song could get me on my Christian high horse like “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” “If Mick Jagger only knew Jesus!” I would think to myself, knowing that if he did, he certainly wouldn’t be singing a song like that. But now, having lived a few more years, I’ve come around to realize that I completely agree with the lead singer’s astute observation. We really can’t get no satisfaction (all grammatical criticism aside). Not in this life anyway. What Jagger missed, though, is that it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

I’m the person throwing Bible verses down from the overpass. I wish I was the person looking the hopeless in the eye and encouraging them to move forward. Who are you?

Still in Glorieta at what has turned out to be a really great event with 1200 college students and leaders. Yesterday morning I shared from a text and has become really dear to me. John 11 is the well known story of when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. But before doing so, the Son of God did something else miraculous… He wept.

Yes, I had passed many of them after my blowout. Yes, I was much faster than them. And, yes, there were certainly lots of people that crossed the line much later than me. BUT, it didn’t matter. The clock doesn’t account for my 40 minute hiatus alongside the road. What it calculates is the time that you start and the time that you finish—no exceptions.

David described this man as a budding teacher of the law himself, and in an attempt to gain recognition, notoriety and affirmation for his message, he wanted to attach himself to Jesus. Basically, if he could be seen as a disciple of Christ, then his message would have validity. In short, he wanted to use Jesus. So do we.

Moses was a shepherd, in the desert, for 40 years. He went from being the prince of Egypt and a revolutionary with a dream to a nobody. But here’s what’s encouraging to me. During those 40 years, I’m sure Moses had a lot of questions. He had a lot of doubts. He had a lot of humility thrust upon him. And while he may have felt like he was doing nothing with his life, God was busy. And I believe God was busy in at least 2 ways - one outside, and one inside.