Are you pursuing your calling without God?

Am I getting off the path?

I am Todd Anderson in the Dead Poets Society.

In the deepest recesses of my heart, I desire to be great or the hero or to stand up for something when everyone else remains seated - I don’t know whether this is unique to me or just a few; or maybe everyone feels this way.

Todd’s friend, Neil, knows how to be great.

He chases it with reckless abandon but falls to tragedy when his father demands smallness of him.

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Todd is quite the opposite - he is afraid of everything.

But there is an artist within Todd that desires to break free.

Which he catches glimpses of throughout the film.

But it is only when his friend Neil commits suicide and his mentor Mr. Keating is the scapegoat, does Todd rise to his true glory, with his mighty yawp - “Oh, Captain, my Captain”.

I’ve yet to have my glory moment. Probably because I still have some grappling and growing to do…

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When I pondered my path, I realized a few things…

For me, ‘turning to the right’, is the Jay who is afraid to take steps of faith.

He plays it safe and keeps his head down.

He dabbles and only dreams about living out his calling because it is easy and less risky.

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My ‘turning to the left’, is the Jay who wants glory so badly that he often pursues it without God. Largely, because he feels unworthy of any of it - I mean why would God give you anything like that Jay?

He forgets how much he is loved and the amazing price Jesus paid for him.

Let’s talk about how this plays out…

How turning aside impacts life & relationship with God

When I pursue God to the right, I feel weak and fearful.

I struggle with making hard decisions because I cannot predict the future. I don’t know what’s best.

It results in me being a poor leader in my home and prevents me from addressing hard things with those around me - because it is easier not to make waves.

On the other hand, when I pursue God to the left, I do feel stronger and more confident.

However, I tend to make rash decisions (thankfully I have a great wife who keeps me in check😉).

When I’m walking down this path, I pursue money and often vie for attention at work - drawing attention to my great works and seeking the praises of men.

I had mentioned earlier that these were a distortion of faith.

The reasoning is that both are a form of pride.

One believes that no one is in control and the other demands that He is not.

One doubts His strength and the other ignores it.

Both fail to trust God.

And both imply that He is not sovereign.

Maybe you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Maybe you were able to immediately identify some things that might keep you from having your ways established.

The greater question now is, what can we do about it?

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Letting your ways be established

Being on the path that establishes us, seems to be the place where we invite God into the brokenness and fear and allow his patience to work out his desires in us.

It is where we take steps of faith, as he leads and guides, and we face fears.

It’s where we allow him to do the work he needs to do so that we might do the work he has prepared for us to do.

So, here’s what I’ve been doing with all of this lately:

1. I shared with God my desires (and confessed the ungodly ones) - whatever they are

2. I invited him to be Lord over them and to redeem them

3. I told him that I didn’t mean to not trust Him or to run off ahead of him

4. And I asked him to increase my faith and my trust in him and to fill me with His Holy Spirit

Throughout the day when I want to shrink back or dart off ahead, I invite him in again - Lord, you know my desires and my shortcomings and then I tell him what is going on. Would you reign in that area and guide me in wisdom and timing?

It has not been easy and I feel like there is much work left to do in this area.

It is this work, I believe, that he is most glorified in btw.

This work allows for breakthroughs and brings him glory.

Final Thoughts…

1. Would you take time this week to ponder what is keeping you from having your ways established? And, what does that path look like for you?

2. Then find some time with God to talk with him about them. Ask for wisdom as to how you might allow him to be Lord of them and partner with him in that work

I truly believe that the area in which we struggle the most is likely the area where God desires to show himself the greatest. It is why the enemy works so hard to have you hide or ruin it - don’t let him.