A good friend of mine asked me recently to speak with his mentoring group. He is leading a group of young, career minded guys in their mid 20’s. The first question had to do with what I would do differently if I were 25 years old again. Besides cut my hair and not wear plaid pants and platform shoes:
1) I would have trusted Jesus sooner. He knew I would have turned to Him if the bottom dropped out, then turn away when things got better. So He allowed me to see the hollowness of success. I have a clear picture of where I was headed without Jesus.
2) I would have risked more. I feel like I am finally beginning to trust Jesus completely and look for my passions in/thru him. Don't let the world tame your passions.
3) I would not have just asked for the monsters in my circumstances to change; I would have asked for peace in the midst of the monsters. At 4:00 am, when the monsters are their biggest, it is amazing to sit in peace with Jesus and just to listen.
I also made this observation:
- Social networks are critical. Jesus gave us the executive summary of the Bible when He said (Mat 22:37-40) nothing is more important than our relationships – with God and with each other. Even the current issue of the Harvard Business Review said the single biggest predictor of your happiness is the depth and breadth of your relationships. Love God completely. Love your wife and family well. Serve others, especially the disenfranchised, well. That's all we’re going to be graded on in Heaven.
And I gave these bits of advice:
a) You will likely hold several jobs/roles, so focus on integrity (congruency between words, thoughts and actions); passion for excellence; humility; lifelong learner; emotional intelligence. Those are the characteristics of great people.
b) Spend good time with your family. I got that advice, and I’m glad I listened. It didn’t slow time down, but it made the passing of time richer and the investment continues to pay dividends.
c) Think in terms of harmony, not balance (advice from my friend, Len Sweet). Balance denotes equality of time. But that’s rarely possible or even advisable, and it can give a false sense of security. Instead, pay attention to your relationships and make adjustments to keep your life in harmony.
d) Develop a Biblical world view to shape your decisions.
e) Use the Bible as a keyhole not a container.
f) And get to the mountains - above the tree line! (If you’re not fighting for air, you’re not high enough).
What did I miss? What else would you have said?
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