Is it possible to love and hate something at the same time? Absolutely. If you don’t believe me, take a trip to The Cheesecake Factory next time you want to go out to eat. I love Cheesecake Factory because it offers my all time favorite dessert (cheesecake), the portion sizes are gargantuan (re: 1lb box of pasta which serves 8 normally is used for 1 order of spaghetti with meat sauce), it can please any crowd because the menu has options from nearly every type of cuisine (American, Asian, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican), and I have the comfort of knowing that when I order Chicken Picatta in Chapel Hill it will taste the same as when I order it in Clarendon (thank you quality control!) . Despite the many positives of Cheesecake Factory, I can’t help but also hate it at the same time. Why? Because as soon as I sit down at the fine establishment, the waitress hands me a menu, which based on the unusual shape tricks me into thinking I was handed a wine list menu. WRONG. As soon as I open the menu I see 200+ menu items spread across 20 PAGES. Forget pre dinner conversation. I need to spend the next five minutes carefully reading over the novel I was just handed. And while normally I like options, there is a point where lots of options becomes more stressful than beneficial. Think about it. When was the last time you ordered something after careful deliberation, only to fall into food envy? You are content with your order until the flatbread pizza glides by, giving off an aroma of fresh basil, only to be delivered to the neighboring table in which man has huge smile on his face. Sometimes I wonder if man sees my envy and then purposely tries to rub it in by exaggerating his facial expressions while eating… I mean really no normal person smiles while they chew on pizza dough!!
Now maybe I’m the only one with this, eh hem ‘problem’, but at least I’m not in denial. And you know what? I would be willing to bet that our parents (baby boomer generation) love the Cheesecake Factory menu with seemingly endless options. Lots of baby boomers came from humble backgrounds. They worked so hard, and they had ‘nothing’ relative to our generation. Some baby boomers grew up on a farm, while others lived in the city where their parents worked in a factory or manufacturing plant. Their activities as kids were very limited. They didn’t have private tutors, personalized piano lessons, or travel soccer teams at their disposal. It was more play stick-ball in a back alley and using cardboard boxes as bases. Vacations consisted of getting together with the local extended family every other Sunday for polka and potato salad. As adults, there also tended to be limited paths to pursue. Many were the first in their family to attend college. For some, the first time they left the state they were born in didn’t happen until college. And for others, after graduating from college they took the first job they were offered and ended up staying with that same company for their ENTIRE CAREER!
So then, naturally, when said baby boomers had some kids of their own, of course they were going to want their kids to have a “better” life. I remember from a young age my Dad always told me, “Chess, I just want to be able to create more options for you” . Well, I’m not sure if you know this, but my Dad created the internet. Just kidding that was Al Gore. But seriously, think about how technology has exponentially increased our options. Gone are the days when folks in their 20s relied on paper business cards, phone books, land-line phones with answering machines, and newspaper ads to find a job. Today, we have information and communication at our fingertips thanks to fax machines, emails, online college classes, online alumni databases, Career Builder, Indeed.com, Linkedin, company websites, Facebook, etc. These technological advances have no doubt helped to create more options because they have made it much easier to switch careers, take advanced classes, move to a new city, and find a different job. While there is a large sense of freedom that comes with taking on the mindset that the world is our oyster and we can really chase after almost anything we want, it can also be really stressful. I do enjoy my job most days, but am I in the right job? Can I really do this forever? Is there a better job out there that uses my FULL skill set? My college friends are going back to B-school and having a blast… maybe I should too?
{STAGE DIRECTIONS} Cue thunder bolts and lightning.
Enter quarter-life crisis.
Protagonist : AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Now what if during said quarter-life crisis when you are looking for direction, purpose, meaning, answers, clarity, you seek advice from someone whom you have tremendous respect for. Someone that knows you almost as well as you know yourself. Someone that has your best interest at heart, and who you think can surely just provide you with the right job suggestion that perfectly aligns with your personality and skill set. When they reveal to you this perfect job suggestion you will go “ah ha! “ and all will be normal again. Now what if that person after you finish sharing your frustrations, doubts, confusion, and plea for guidance simply says back to you " I don’t have an answer for you. What I can tell you though, is the most important thing you can do in life is to Love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind.” Initially, I was furious when I heard this. That is not at all helpful! Of course I Love God… I think?! After taking some time to cool off, I stared asking myself if I really truly loved God. The conclusion I came to was “I want to, but I honestly can’t say I’m there yet”. Yes, I knew that as Christians we love Him because He loved us first, and I have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life. However, I couldn’t undoubtedly say that I was madly and passionately in love with God. I remembered hearing in a sermon that God’s love language is obedience, so I thought well surely since I try to follow His commands, that produces love for God? WRONG. Obedience doesn't produce love. Love produces obedience. Okay next strategy: try to develop strong feelings. (1 week passes and nothing changed) Final solution: maybe I can develop love for God by getting to know Him.
It was during this simple yet profound realization that I started on the best journey of my life to date…. the journey of reading the word of God (the Bible). [Ironically enough, the person who spoke such wise words to me, also happened to be the same person that gave me my first Bible.] I’ll admit that at first I was hesitant and scared. I was afraid that reading the Old Testament would make me think God was full of wrath and not at all loving. I started in Exodus (2nd book of the Bible), read the entire Old Testament (read Genesis last), and soon thereafter read the entire New Testament (Matthew- Revelation). During my reading of the OT, I surprisingly did not come away thinking God was 100% wrathful. In fact, I think the most significant aspect of God’s character that was revealed to me during my reading was how unfailing God’s love for His people was. I got to know a God who was steadfast in mercy, abounding in love, and quick to forgive His people who for generations kept making the same mistakes over and over again.
Additionally, reading the Bible brought a tremendous amount of peace into my life. It was almost as if a switch in my brain turned back on that allowed me to be at ease, rest, and stop stressing 24-7 about attempting to figure out my ‘life plan’. I can’t even give you an analogy to illustrate the peace I felt during the 5 months it took me to read the bible simply because I have never felt this peaceful before. The Bible gave me incredible wisdom, helped refocus my life, and understand what actually matters in this life and what doesn’t.
Now, let me clarify, the Bible isn’t going to have a verse in there that says “Yes (your name), I think you should take job A because it only has a 25 minute commute” or “No (your name), don’t apply to graduate school, I think you would be better suited programming computers” or “Move to San Diego! I give you 4 thumbs up!” , or “Yes, you getting laid off is a sign that you should switch careers to pursue your true dream of working in the FBI” , etc. The Bible was written by God for EVERYONE, regardless of age, sex, gender. It also was written so that it would transcend time. Anyone, anywhere, anytime, in any environment, can relate to it and come out with a significant amount of wisdom.
If you think you might be having a quarter-life crisis, I still think you should continue to take career personality tests, network, shadow people who have a job you are interested in, and apply for jobs online. However, I also strongly recommend reading the Bible. It’s much better than the alternatives: overeating (you’ll spend more money and get fat), getting wasted (you’re just avoiding dealing with problems), or working out (who needs to work out when you have the Shake Weight?) The Bible is not detrimental to your health. You can easily find one for free or at the very least under $11. So why not give it a shot? All the cool kids recommend it.
• “The Bible is the best book in the world. It contains more than all the libraries I have seen.” -John Adams
• “The Bible makes the best people in the world.” -Thomas Jefferson
• “The Bible is the Anchor of our liberties.” -Ulysses S. Grant
• “No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.” -Theodore Roosevelt
• “The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and the next.” -John Jay First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
• “Education is useless without the Bible….God’s word, contained in the Bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct.” -Noah Webster
• “The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed.” -Patrick Henry
• “In the formative days of the Republic the directing influence the Bible exercised upon the fathers of the Nation is conspicuously evident.…Our enemies are guided by…unholy contempt of the human race. We are inspired by a faith that goes back through all the years to the first chapter of the Book of Genesis: “God created man in His own image.” “Franklin D. Roosevelt
I read the New International Version (NIV) Study Bible. The study Bible was fascinating because it has introductions before each book of the bible that tells author, date of writing, background, purpose, themes, theological significance etc. Also, most verses have footnotes to show other verses in the bible aka ‘cross references’ where similar content is discussed.
Now maybe I’m the only one with this, eh hem ‘problem’, but at least I’m not in denial. And you know what? I would be willing to bet that our parents (baby boomer generation) love the Cheesecake Factory menu with seemingly endless options. Lots of baby boomers came from humble backgrounds. They worked so hard, and they had ‘nothing’ relative to our generation. Some baby boomers grew up on a farm, while others lived in the city where their parents worked in a factory or manufacturing plant. Their activities as kids were very limited. They didn’t have private tutors, personalized piano lessons, or travel soccer teams at their disposal. It was more play stick-ball in a back alley and using cardboard boxes as bases. Vacations consisted of getting together with the local extended family every other Sunday for polka and potato salad. As adults, there also tended to be limited paths to pursue. Many were the first in their family to attend college. For some, the first time they left the state they were born in didn’t happen until college. And for others, after graduating from college they took the first job they were offered and ended up staying with that same company for their ENTIRE CAREER!
So then, naturally, when said baby boomers had some kids of their own, of course they were going to want their kids to have a “better” life. I remember from a young age my Dad always told me, “Chess, I just want to be able to create more options for you” . Well, I’m not sure if you know this, but my Dad created the internet. Just kidding that was Al Gore. But seriously, think about how technology has exponentially increased our options. Gone are the days when folks in their 20s relied on paper business cards, phone books, land-line phones with answering machines, and newspaper ads to find a job. Today, we have information and communication at our fingertips thanks to fax machines, emails, online college classes, online alumni databases, Career Builder, Indeed.com, Linkedin, company websites, Facebook, etc. These technological advances have no doubt helped to create more options because they have made it much easier to switch careers, take advanced classes, move to a new city, and find a different job. While there is a large sense of freedom that comes with taking on the mindset that the world is our oyster and we can really chase after almost anything we want, it can also be really stressful. I do enjoy my job most days, but am I in the right job? Can I really do this forever? Is there a better job out there that uses my FULL skill set? My college friends are going back to B-school and having a blast… maybe I should too?
{STAGE DIRECTIONS} Cue thunder bolts and lightning.
Enter quarter-life crisis.
Protagonist : AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Now what if during said quarter-life crisis when you are looking for direction, purpose, meaning, answers, clarity, you seek advice from someone whom you have tremendous respect for. Someone that knows you almost as well as you know yourself. Someone that has your best interest at heart, and who you think can surely just provide you with the right job suggestion that perfectly aligns with your personality and skill set. When they reveal to you this perfect job suggestion you will go “ah ha! “ and all will be normal again. Now what if that person after you finish sharing your frustrations, doubts, confusion, and plea for guidance simply says back to you " I don’t have an answer for you. What I can tell you though, is the most important thing you can do in life is to Love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind.” Initially, I was furious when I heard this. That is not at all helpful! Of course I Love God… I think?! After taking some time to cool off, I stared asking myself if I really truly loved God. The conclusion I came to was “I want to, but I honestly can’t say I’m there yet”. Yes, I knew that as Christians we love Him because He loved us first, and I have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life. However, I couldn’t undoubtedly say that I was madly and passionately in love with God. I remembered hearing in a sermon that God’s love language is obedience, so I thought well surely since I try to follow His commands, that produces love for God? WRONG. Obedience doesn't produce love. Love produces obedience. Okay next strategy: try to develop strong feelings. (1 week passes and nothing changed) Final solution: maybe I can develop love for God by getting to know Him.
It was during this simple yet profound realization that I started on the best journey of my life to date…. the journey of reading the word of God (the Bible). [Ironically enough, the person who spoke such wise words to me, also happened to be the same person that gave me my first Bible.] I’ll admit that at first I was hesitant and scared. I was afraid that reading the Old Testament would make me think God was full of wrath and not at all loving. I started in Exodus (2nd book of the Bible), read the entire Old Testament (read Genesis last), and soon thereafter read the entire New Testament (Matthew- Revelation). During my reading of the OT, I surprisingly did not come away thinking God was 100% wrathful. In fact, I think the most significant aspect of God’s character that was revealed to me during my reading was how unfailing God’s love for His people was. I got to know a God who was steadfast in mercy, abounding in love, and quick to forgive His people who for generations kept making the same mistakes over and over again.
Additionally, reading the Bible brought a tremendous amount of peace into my life. It was almost as if a switch in my brain turned back on that allowed me to be at ease, rest, and stop stressing 24-7 about attempting to figure out my ‘life plan’. I can’t even give you an analogy to illustrate the peace I felt during the 5 months it took me to read the bible simply because I have never felt this peaceful before. The Bible gave me incredible wisdom, helped refocus my life, and understand what actually matters in this life and what doesn’t.
Now, let me clarify, the Bible isn’t going to have a verse in there that says “Yes (your name), I think you should take job A because it only has a 25 minute commute” or “No (your name), don’t apply to graduate school, I think you would be better suited programming computers” or “Move to San Diego! I give you 4 thumbs up!” , or “Yes, you getting laid off is a sign that you should switch careers to pursue your true dream of working in the FBI” , etc. The Bible was written by God for EVERYONE, regardless of age, sex, gender. It also was written so that it would transcend time. Anyone, anywhere, anytime, in any environment, can relate to it and come out with a significant amount of wisdom.
If you think you might be having a quarter-life crisis, I still think you should continue to take career personality tests, network, shadow people who have a job you are interested in, and apply for jobs online. However, I also strongly recommend reading the Bible. It’s much better than the alternatives: overeating (you’ll spend more money and get fat), getting wasted (you’re just avoiding dealing with problems), or working out (who needs to work out when you have the Shake Weight?) The Bible is not detrimental to your health. You can easily find one for free or at the very least under $11. So why not give it a shot? All the cool kids recommend it.
• “The Bible is the best book in the world. It contains more than all the libraries I have seen.” -John Adams
• “The Bible makes the best people in the world.” -Thomas Jefferson
• “The Bible is the Anchor of our liberties.” -Ulysses S. Grant
• “No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.” -Theodore Roosevelt
• “The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and the next.” -John Jay First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
• “Education is useless without the Bible….God’s word, contained in the Bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct.” -Noah Webster
• “The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed.” -Patrick Henry
• “In the formative days of the Republic the directing influence the Bible exercised upon the fathers of the Nation is conspicuously evident.…Our enemies are guided by…unholy contempt of the human race. We are inspired by a faith that goes back through all the years to the first chapter of the Book of Genesis: “God created man in His own image.” “Franklin D. Roosevelt
I read the New International Version (NIV) Study Bible. The study Bible was fascinating because it has introductions before each book of the bible that tells author, date of writing, background, purpose, themes, theological significance etc. Also, most verses have footnotes to show other verses in the bible aka ‘cross references’ where similar content is discussed.
Posts
Hey GG,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post. I agree with the NIV Study Bible, I got one my freshman year in college and it is now starting to fall apart.
I read online that a committee is working on retranslating the NIV and it is due out next year. We'll see if my Bible holds together that long.
www.apbnews.com/content/view/4357/53