A thought by Bob Goff, from his book, Dream Big Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
That is an interesting thought that I didn’t know.
Bob says, “I’m glad they did because I’ve erased in my life much more than I’ve kept. We all get to do this. We take what we’ve written about ourselves, what we truly believe God thinks of us, and decide what to keep and what to erase. We’re not the only author of our lives either. Like the ones who have signed the pages of a high school yearbook, other people who have intersected our journey have written over us too. Some of what they said is true and beautiful and lasting. Other things not so much. ‘Never change’ was written in my yearbook by at least a dozen people. It’s the worst advice I’ve ever received. We’re supposed to change constantly—into kinder, humbler, more faithful versions of our old selves. This change and growth happens when we sort out the truth from the lies in our lives. Here’s some great news. The next version of you is the one who will pursue the ambitions all the previous versions were unable to accomplish.”
He goes on, “Our understanding of who we are and how God sees us is worth all the time and energy we’ll put into the task. The trick is figuring out what is true after all the distractions, misstatements, and misunderstandings have been eliminated from our lives. Here’s what makes it worth it: when we sort through all the words written by ourselves and others, and when we discard what isn’t true or doesn’t matter anymore, we’ll find the clarity we need to choose the desires worth pursuing. What’s leftover will be your truest, most beautiful, and lasting ambitions...
“My faith has shaped my worldview and plays a big part in my ambitions. I decided to make my first and last ambition to love God and the people I come across without an agenda. I certainly haven’t arrived, but I’m somewhere along the way of getting there. You are too.
“My relationships play a big role too. Some people are easy to connect with. If you want to achieve great things, find a couple of these people to do life with. Also, find a couple of difficult people to engage with love. Don’t make them projects; make them friends. This is where you’ll grow. If you do these things, I promise you will lead a purposeful and meaningful life. Sure, it will be complicated at times, and you’ll mess it up more than once, but your purpose will never become clearer. I know this because if you go deep with a few people and stay close to those who rub you the wrong way, you will have accomplished the ambitions Jesus said were always worth the effort.”
He later says, “Let me get this out there. God is over the moon about you. Honest. I’ve asked Him. He’s not grimacing at your past failures; He’s smiling at the bright future you have with Him. As you pursue your ambitions, rest in knowing that heaven is simply nuts about you and can’t wait for you to get there. That said, you’ve got some time right here, so make good use of it. Making eternity one of your biggest ambitions is terrific, but what if we use this desire to better understand your short time here on earth and what you’ll do next with your life.”
And that is such an important thing to do, isn’t it?
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