What do you want to be?

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Sometimes we ask children this question to get an idea of what talents and desires they have. We usually mean, "what job do you want to do when you grow up?" It's a shame that there are some professions that require the person to trade a lot of their life for a return that is not worth it. Some of the most accomplished people have lives that are so shattered their accomplishments pale in comparison to the problems that an all-consuming profession generates.

I never knew how to answer this question because I believed that I didn't want what I do to define who I was. I might have just as well responded to the adult, "who are you?". In the adult world however to avoid any conversation more then skin deep we ask, "what do you do for a living?"

In the seeking there is doing

There is a connection though between what we do and/or seek to do and who we are. What we do manifests what we seek to do and the soul is the part being that seeks and is who we are. So what is God's command regarding what we are to seek and therefore who we are to be?

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:33-34 NIV)

"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness" is an action which is probably the only desire that when we seek it we attain it (see C.S. Lewis's book "Surprised by Joy"). Everything else is "tomorrow". "All these things" most importantly refers to His kingdom and His righteousness. The food and clothing of previous verses all though important are only temporal. His kingdom speaks of His agenda or will. His righteousness is his perfect identity. In other words if we do what he wants, (seek Him) we are Christians, followers of Christ (notice that the identity is defined by what we do). Then we become adopted sons of God (John1:12) and are justified by his righteousness imparted to us. We are given an identity by our creator which is far superior to any we could create.

Being surprised day by day

I also want to record an interesting phenomena that I am experiencing in this period of my life that has a lot to do with what I just said. Now that my two year commitment to serve as a missionary with Koinonia is coming to a close on March 28th I feel external and internal pressures to define what I will do next. Every time I ponder what it is I would like to be doing next it is similar to what I'm doing now: something where I could serve the Lord with talents that he has given me, have the opportunity to teach the bible in some fashion, make disciples, and edify others. Somewhere where I could surf and maybe a foreign country. This leads me to believe that I will look back at this time with regret if I spend my time worrying about what I will do instead of letting the Lord lead me and surprise me day by day.

New York Yankee, Soccer star, Superman, Spiderman