If I could go back to my life at about 30 years old, I would make several decisions with a great deal more thought, counsel and wisdom. But I know that I, without any doubt, would change the three things listed below. I wonder what might have become of me, had I known then, what I know now?
- I’d have spent far more time seeking godly counsel and being in a mutually accountable small group than attempting to scale the ladder of mega-church success and church-fame (sorry, I couldn’t think of a more horrific phrase than church-fame). Being part of something greater than a bigger building, budget and parking lot would have saved me and a lot of other folks that I wounded a lot of sorrow. All of us need to be in a community of disciples while making disciples.
- I’d have started writing far earlier than a few years ago. The cathartic process of writing has sharpened me and at times shaped my theological, psychological and relational positions. I always wanted to write but was too busy trying to impress other folks with a willingness to anything necessary to put more hind parts in seats. Now that I am writing with a pretty passionate desire to be fully vulnerable and transparent, I am enjoying experiencing a fresh wind in my life. If you have something within you that you think the Lord wants to get out of you, don’t let your ego, fear or relationships keep you from allowing Him to use you. At 58 years old, my mind might be sharper than ever before, but those years that I lost, well they haunt me occasionally.
- I’d have learned to listen as opposed to always finding an answer and talking over everybody else. I can remember “listening” to others while looking past them, or worse, tuning them out while determining my next sentence. Listening isn’t yet my strength, but I am learning to discipline myself to this artful wisdom. I can see the faces of folks that probably needed to receive a ministry of kindness and presence more than a young know-it-all. If you are a good listener, thank the Divine. If, like me, you are not…start today!
Peace, AChuck