Each of us has something we are striving to be or to be known for, something that can define us and leave a significant mark of greatness. We want people to know our individuality. There is a person we want to be known as, and if we say this is not true, well, we would be lying.
That desire in us is what drives us. It’s what sits deep in us and gives us a sense of meaning and purpose for our existence on this earth. But I will say that striving, that drive, that desire to be known can misguide us if we’re not careful. I remember a quote that makes me think about that desire in myself, as well as in some others I know: “To dream of the person you wish to be is to waste the person you are.”
Before I go on, let me say I believe we should have goals and dreams. Without them, what kind of life would that be? As I write this, I have the image of Don Quixote de la Mancha — atop his horse, Rocinante — and the words “to dream the impossible dream” running through my head.
However, the power of misguided goals and dreams and the striving toward those goals easily can cause our focus to become blurred or fuzzy. We become ineffective in who we are and what we need now. That results in frustration, which keeps us dissatisfied with our current involvements and with the paths that are leading, strengthening and, in some cases, pruning us into what we need to become.
I am reminded of two Scriptures that are impossible to overlook or ignore in my life and journey, but I struggle to balance between them:
“Cease striving and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 NASB.
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” 1 Corinthians 9:24 NASB.
I attempt to keep the balance between these two verses — between who I am and who God wants me to be — even though, at times, I feel like Dash in the last scene of “The Incredibles.”
Still, I do my best in the moment, wherever I am in life and in my goals and dreams, holding this verse close: “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” Ephesians 5:10 The Message.
– Terry Huey is pastor of Summit Baptist Church. The longtime Acworth resident graduated from North Cobb High School. He and his wife, Kara, have two children, Eli and Charis.
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