Commercials which caused Deep Thoughts...

Usually, when the commercials are on I'm running to the bathroom, kitchen, or some other part of the house to take care of a chore so that I might not feel as guilty watching TV (thats a whole other post in and of itself). However, tonight, as I was watching Sportscenter, I was, for some reason, strangely glued to the couch, watching in some kind of a catatonic state as I was unwinding from the day, when a commercial came on that for some reason caught my attention and brought me back to coherency.

It starts out with the actor talking about a 4 bedroom house, white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a family dog being the American Dream. He then goes on to qualify it by saying that's not the American Dream, the American Dream is that each one us gets to have our own dreams. This next line is the one that has captured my attention and intrigued me to write today. The actor went on to say "Its not about where your dreams may take you, but where you will take your dreams."

Ruminate on that statement with me for a moment. Its not about where your dreams take you, but where you take your dreams. What a powerful statement. It places the responsibility of fulfilling our dreams squarely on our shoulders. There's no wiggle room. There's no way to shrug off the load, it's squarely on there.

Now as Christians we know that the burden we carry is that for God's glory and his alone. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I don't believe, however, that this removes us of our drive and ambition to accomplish all that God has called us to do. Some may right away turn to God's sovereignty and that we must intently search for His will for our life like it is some great mystery which is difficult to find out what exactly might be his will. Proverbs 16 offers a beautiful window into the heart and will of God, though I'm very hesitant and would caution anyone from making dogmatic assertions from a couple statements in Proverbs. That being said, I do think we can draw some understanding from this text.

Proverbs 16:9 says "The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." I think its note worthy here to point out two things: first 'the heart of a man.' Webster, though not authoritative, offers a definition of heart that I believe applies to this verse. The 5th definition reads as follows: one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations. It must be mentioned here that for one to accomplish all that God has for him to accomplish it presupposes a life lived dieing to ones self daily, and taking up his cross daily. A life lived with one foot in the world and one foot towards heaven is not the heart of this verse in my opinion. The beauty of this is that as a man, or woman (of course), seeks to know God better, his innermost, character, feelings, or inclinations will be shaped by God. Therefore a mans heart, or ambitions, will be that which God has given him. It would be wise to point out that this statement is made with a life being lived out in the context of a local church where accountability and discipline is a natural occurrence.

The second thing I want to bring up is the Lord directing our steps. Matthew Henry writes the following commentary on this verse: "If men make God's glory their end, and his will their rule, he will direct their steps by his Spirit and grace." This then brings up the ever mind boggling debate of God's Sovereignty and Mans Responsibility. Due to the weight of the subject, I'll leave the explanations to men much smarter than myself, like Charles Spurgeon. In a sermon entitled, "Sovereign Grace and Mans Responsibility", Mr. Spurgeon said the following:

"That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. It is just the fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot be contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one place that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. These two truths, I do not believe, can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring."

I will not pursue these two lines to the furthest tonight, but I do want to end with a challenge and hopefully motivational thought to all of us. As we draw nearer and nearer to God, I believe our hearts will grow with passion for His name and His renown (Isaiah 26:8, NIV). So whats the challenge? Hearken back with me to the commercial. Remember the thought provoking statement the actor made? "Its not where your dreams will take you, its where you will take your dreams." What do you find your dream to be as you draw nearer to God? What sparks in your heart? What ignites a passion in your heart that is not easily quenched? The dream that God gives you matters not on what the world says of it, but on what God says of it. Remember, God often uses the foolish things to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). So, I ask you, where will you take your dreams? God challenged me with a question 2 years ago that I have yet to shake which I will pose to you (and probably write more about later). "What will you be known for? The things you COULD have done, or the things you ACTUALLY did do?