Thursday, December 6, 2012

A Path Toward Greatness

This week here at Link Year, we had the joy of getting to hear from Kyle Unruh. The first thing he said to the class was "I believe by making the decision to attend Link Year, you all are now on the path to greatness." Path to greatness? Really? Having no clue where I want to go to college or what my life will look like in the next year represents a path to greatness? Well according to Kyle Unruh it does. I believe that we just have to trust that by being here God will place us on a path towards greatness. The first stop on this path is experiencing a clear calling. Kyle used the fisher men in Mark chapter one as an example. Jesus appears to them and calls them to follow him and become fishers of men. In that instance, it was pretty clear what Jesus was asking them to do. I mean, he was standing right in front of them. If Jesus walked up to me and told me my calling I wouldn't argue either. So Kyle tells us this and I think "okay, no big deal, I just have to hear my calling. Sounds easy enough to me!" Wrong. God's calling for our lives is not only heard by the ears. He can stir your heart as well. I'm done for. How am I supposed to "hear" this calling if he may not actually speak to me? I don't know what kind of stirring in my heart I am supposed to feel. When God calls, we will know. It will be so clear that we cannot ignore it. You know how you can screen calls? We've all done it. Your phone rings and you check to see who it is before you answer it. You can't screen his calls. When God calls, you answer.
The next thing on the path to greatness is a clear understanding of sacrifice. Kyle described sacrifice as a privilege of the mature. We are not called to do something Christ hasn't already done himself. Sacrifice is good!! It can be very hard and scary sometimes, but it's always a good thing when done with a pure heart. In times of sacrifice we are most like Christ, he did not come to be served but to serve. With serving comes sacrifice.
Next up on the path to greatness is steadfastness. God tells us to not return to our sin, but to flee from it and follow Him. Stay on the course of steadfastness and it will lead us to greatness! To stay on the course is a daily struggle. This is where steadfastness comes into play. To be steadfast means to fixed in direction and firm in purpose. When you are steadfast, you aren't turning back. Put our faith in Christ, follow him, and then we will have strength to be steadfast.
Lastly, we have to allow our weaknesses to bring us strength. Kyle told us the story of the boy who carried two pots to get water from the well each day. On the way back down the mountain the pot with a crack lost half of its water. But the boy carried that pot on the same side every time, and he sprinkled flower seeds on that side of the road. Slowly flowers began to grow. That pots weakness allowed for beautiful flowers to grow. The pot allowed for the boy to turn his weakness into strength. In the same way, we should allow Christ to turn our weaknesses into strength.
Follow these things, and God will use us on the path to greatness.

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