Future Potential

“Who is in the stands cheering for you in the marathon of life?
We’ve all had people in our past who believed in us when we didn’t have the strength to believe in ourselves. Being a youth worker means that you get the privilege of doing this for someone else. So keep up the good work. Keep encouraging. Continue to remember names. And dive deep into the lives of the students you are walking through life with.” Doug Fields

I pass this on to you in light of several things God is working in me. I recently started reading a book entitled The Climb of Your Life, by Dr. Chris Stephens. That name is likely not very familiar to you, but to me he has had an incredible impact on my life. Chris was one of my Youth Pastors when I was a teenager. Chris has an incredible testimony of how Christ rescued him from a life of drug addiction, and the mess that type of life creates. He is now the senior pastor of a church in Knoxville TN, which was named one of the fastest growing churches in the United States. As I read through this book I can see Chris on every page, what he has written about is what he has really been living out for over 20 years. The main point of the book is this; we (Christ followers) are all on a climb/journey in life and just as someone who climbs a mountain needs others to make it to the top we also need others in our lives to push us, pull us and prod us to achieving more than what we ever thought possible.

As a teenager I had the privilege of seeing Chris live this out. He challenged me to know what I believe and why I believe it. He set an example of a missional life style. And he boldly proclaimed God’s word, whether it was to one or to a thousand.

There is also a warning to us, that while we are able to be influenced to be more, we are equally able to be dragged down to be less of whom God has called us to be. We need to make wise choices as to who we tie ourselves to as climbing companions if we are to reach the peak of our potential.