“What if my yardstick of life was not in what was accomplished, but I measured myself by my focus on doing what I’m called to do.”

I recently spent the weekend with Milt Travis, a basketball coach in Georgia who was being inducted into his school’s Hall of Fame. Coach Travis has been a father figure and mentor in my life for many years. We talk often and normally share stories, team ideas, and life philosophies. Coach asked me if I had heard the song , “Tin Roof” by Chris Tomlin, about Heaven and what it may be be like. There is a line in the song that says: “Maybe in the Promised Land, We’re all made for what we do.”

Coach then said, “But what if that is true right here on earth. What if God makes us for what we do. What if our strengths and weaknesses make us for what we do. For what we are to do? What if God takes me right where I am and uses me to do what he needs. What if I could use my trials to serve others? What if the world tells me I’m not good enough, I don’t look right, I don’t talk well enough, I’m not cool, I mess up too much… So what if God takes this scarred person and uses me to do exactly what I’m to do? What if those times we had fear of not being able to pay the bills, built the trust we needed in a great God? What if in our time of great darkness we found a new faith? What if the fear of death gave us a greater life? What if He has used all of these things to make me to do what I do? John 10:10 says, “ I (Jesus) come that you may have life and have it more abundantly!” What if abundant life is us being made in the moment to do what we are to do. A life where the Lord uses me and us to do what he chooses. I can definitely see and feel it, but often I let the world’s mirror distort my reflection. What I know is that I find the peace of Jesus telling me that there is purpose in the struggle. That he is making me do what I do. What if my yardstick of life was not in what was accomplished, but I measured myself by my focus on doing what I’m called to do.”

I shared with coach how profound his message was to me. That I have found the most peace in my profession when I am not worried about accomplishment, but focusing on making a difference one day at a time. That there is a big difference between focusing on what you want vs what you need. There are many things in life that I want to do or accomplish but, that does not always line up with what I need to do. We spend a lot of our careers chasing what we want, instead of chasing what we need to do. We worry about the next job or goal instead of the people and place that is entrusted to us at that very moment. We then begin to measure ourselves by a lot of things outside of our control. We learn that seeking accomplishment only is a slippery slope…. Often when things do not go our way, we begin to believe that life’s fate has deemed us unworthy.

When we seek our calling… We know that only God knows the master plan. That he wants us to run the race to win, but to also work for him and not for man. That even in disappointment, that there are hidden victories that God has orchestrated. We learn to never lose hope in our purpose… To understand that God’s plan unfolds as we trust, develop, and grow in each window of life. The fact that God needs us right now, where we are, doing what we are doing. We find encouragement in knowing that there is no end to his use for us. We know that there is faith in the possibility that everything in our lives could be preparing us to make our biggest difference in our finality. That in the end, we often get what we really want because we have focused on what is needed. We begin to understand that God’s plan for our lives is his plan and not our own. Romans 8:28 says, “For God works all things for good, for those called to his purpose.” We are each called to what we are doing. We have been shaped for this very moment and God will use it for His good. God will also take care of us and see us through to the finish. So what if our yardstick of life was not in what was accomplished, but our measurement of focus on doing what we are called to do.