What is success?

August 30, 2010

Last night I offered a fairly straight forward lesson for our high school youth.  It seemed to have a significant impact on many of them.  I didn’t just want to leave the issue and walk away, but my hope is that in talking about questions, fears and challenges, that we can all move forward.

As we embark together on a new school year, there are lots of things to look forward to.  The year is full of a lot of unknown elements but also lots of exciting possibility.  As I asked kids to offer one word that describes their sense of the upcoming year, I heard “busy - stressful - scary” and more.  When I asked them about goals they had for the coming year, I heard “graduating - being valedictorian - get A’s or B’s in my math classes” and more.  There’s a lot of pressure and there are a lot of expectations surrounding a new year of school and classes.

We have a ton of concerns, goals and expectations regarding our academic course work, but we don’t really seem to put as much thought into our spiritual lives.  “What are your spiritual goals for yourself for the coming year?”  I asked this question and it seemed clear that most hadn’t considered it.  Why should they have considered it?  I’m a Pastor and I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard the question asked before.  The problem is, when we don’t have a goal and we don’t have expectations - it’s really easy for our time to get used up.  Some things in life are important and some aren’t and some things in life seem to be urgent and some don’t.  When we don’t plan ahead and set goals regarding what we want to do with our time (regarding what our priorities are), we get sucked into allowing things that seem urgent but aren’t actually important - to take up our time.

The fact of the matter is - GOD IS IMPORTANT!  To put it more directly, GOD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN GETTING INTO “THE RIGHT” COLLEGE.  I know that I’m taking a risk when I say this, because many people put a lot of time, effort and attention into making sure they have all the proper credentials to get accepted into all the most prestigious colleges and universities.

This is my response, “I know how it is.  I was there.  I remember the stress of August, September and October of my senior year.  ‘Where are you going to apply?  Do you think you’ll get in?  What’s your back up plan?  Where have you visited?  Are you taking the SATs again?  If you get in can you afford it?  Do you think you’re smart enough to get a scholarship?’  The questions were relentless and I heard them from friends, family, classmates and from myself.  The decision regarding what College/University to attend can easily feel like the first (and perhaps the most important) decision a young person has to make.”

I believe that confronted with all of this stress and pressure, many young people see high school as a chance to either get it “right” or “wrong.”  They need to get everything right, so they can be successful and here’s what is at stake:

Kids need to get “the right” grades (A’s), in “the right” classes (AP/Honors) so they can get accepted to “the right” (most prestigious, famous, important) colleges and universities, so that they can earn “the right” degree (and hopefully meet the person of their dreams), so that they can get “the right” job with “the right company,” so that they can earn “the right” amount of money so that they can buy “the right” house in “the right” neighborhood so that their children can go to “the right” school and get “the right” grades in “the right” classes…

Unfortunately, in the scenario above, a mistake at the wrong time (or anytime) could result in a catastrophic collapse of all possibility of achieving “the right” life.  Which would leave you as a FAILURE.

I believe, however, that there is viable alternative.  Instead of having to get everything right all the time, what if we were able to trust that God was in control, that God has a plan for our lives.  The Bible teaches that when we put our relationship with God at the top of our priorities, then God will help us to make sure everything else falls into place.  I know it feels like a risky proposition and that you have a lot to lose, but at the end of the day, “Do you want to be in charge of whether your life is a success or failure?  Or would you like God to handle that one?”

Delivering this type of message to an unsuspecting group of teenagers felt a bit cruel, but I don’t think I would be doing them any favors if I ignored the topic.  Then, when I sat down to read my Bible I turned to a lectionary passage for the coming week and read Deuteronomy 30:15-20 which says that this decision regarding the top priority in your life, is a matter of life and death.  It’s up to you, “now, choose life!”

What do you think about this topic?  Is any of this helpful?  Do you think I’m way off base?

Pastor Adam

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