6 years from now

Recently, I had the privilege of attending my brother's graduation at UC Davis. I usually don't pay attention to graduation speakers, because most of them give advice that I wouldn't and speak through an abiblical world-view. My experience tells me so. But, that is not to say that there is absolutely no redeemable value in listening to them. So I stopped what I was doing on my laptop and decided to give the speaker my undivided attention. During the middle of her exhortation to the graduating class, she began speaking about a professor of medicine at UC Davis who decided to take a career change at age 36 after receiving tenure at at a pristegious university. The story has been on my mind since the graduation. At the high-point of his career, the professor decided it was not for him to be a scholar and to everyone's shock, enrolled in med-school because he heart for suffering children in Africa. A student asked him, "What was going through your mind." His answer? "6 years from now, I will be 42 doing what I love, or I will be just 42."

I have been meditating on that little anecdote for the past few weeks. I found that the story related well to our Christian walk. There are three points I was meditating upon as I reflected on this story.

Christians often make deicisions considering what is more productive rather than what is more pleasurable, biblically speaking.

Christians rarely consider what they want heaven to be like when making decisisons(i.e. if I do this, would God receive me by saying "Well done, My good and faithful servant" or would I be barely escaping through the fire?)

Christians forget that what is most pleasurable often requires hard-work and suffering; and is often contrary to our fleshly desires.

Was it not a radical decision when we decided to become a Christian? We decided to walk the hard road of life: to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. If someone were to ask us, what was going through your mind when you decided to become a Christian, would you say, "When I die, I will be dead and with Jesus Christ, or I will be just dead." I pray you have considered this road of the cross because Jesus is lovely. Indeed, He makes the dfiference between heaven and hell.

Six years from now I will be 29: still young but having lived over a quarter of a century. I pray the course that I am on will allow me to find my greatest pleasure in Jesus Christ. And if not within six years from now, in the day when eternal joy begins. I pray friend, for you as well, that you would find great pleasure in making much of Christ and you would decide to live making much of Christ. Stay strong and God bless!