Being Someone Who Matters

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"Why would you want to spend your life where you aren't needed?"

A typically thoughtful question from a man known for well, his thoughtful and stirring questions.

Earlier this week, my friend Angie mentioned one acceptance speech stuck out to her as she watched the Oscars - Reese Witherspoon's. At one point, Reese said "People used to ask June [Carter, the character she played to win Best Actress] how she was doing, and she used to say -- "I'm just trying to matter." And I know what she means. You know, I'm just trying to matter, and live a good life and make work that means something to somebody." And Angie realized that's all she wanted, too.

I'm afraid that we sell out comfort for fear. I'm afraid that we choose complacency instead of a passionate life devoted to Christ. I'm afraid that people are so worried about how hard their life could be that they just settle for what they can get. I saw that in Angie eyes as she confessed she just wanted to matter. She just wanted a passion and direction. She's happy; I so see that in her, and she told me as much. But as I prayed with her and asked God to stir her heart and help her find the purpose he has waiting for her, her tears told me she was longing for something better. Something less comfortable. Something she could pour her heart into.

I've so been there, Angie. We all have, haven't we? The desire to want more than this life is simply a God-shaped hole in us, that tells us we are meant to live for more. But we lost ourselves in a valley of consumerism (even Tony thinks so). Our past failures, no matter how small, have broken us. And we've withdrawn to a place where there is no risk. We surround ourselves with things that inspire our safety, but don't inspire our hearts. We believe this God-shaped hole is about us longing for heaven, but I don't think that's the only thing we should long for.

I believe we should long for God to do a good work in us, a work that matters, a work that lets us be his hands and his feet on this earth. Let's not spend time investing in heaven. Let's spend time investing on helping people on this earth get to it. It may not be comfortable or easy, but at least it matters.


Welcome to the Planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?

I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Welcome to the Fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

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