Life Happens Here

If you have been to my hometown of Atlanta, you know the exact place I am talking about, Atlantic Station. I remember when Atlanta's first live, work, and play property opened, my friends and I were were absolutely inspired by the new locations tagline, "life happens here." We were in college, just beginning our careers, and the many possibilities of 21st century ministry was the topic of every conversation. I remember chatting one night about the new Atlantic Station, it's irresistible location, and the simple truth that life truly happened there. I remember one of us asking, "what if church was that way?" What if every church experience provided an irresistible environment leaving every attender feeling as if they had just experienced real life. Is your church like this? Could you honestly say "at [insert church name here] life happens here?" I think there are many steps that could be taken to create such an environment, but since I am a communicator, I will speak from my own experience.

As a communicator, my number one goal is to challenge my audience to live the life they have always dreamed of. I cannot tell you how many times students and young adults approach me wanting to know what God's will is for their lives and what they can do to make their lives count for something bigger than themselves. I love these moments because it gives me the opportunity to share the best advice that I ever received which I also believe is "God's will" for all of our lives.

"Do what you love, and live inside the means that it provides" one of my father's co-workers once told me. Could it be that easy? I think so! You don't have to bag six figures and you don't have to be a starving artist, you just have to do what you love. I think Saint Irenaeus said it best when he told us "the glory of God is a heart fully alive." I had the privilege of having lunch yesterday with a guy who is putting this concept into practice

Jac is a tobacco chewing, Jesus loving, college freshman who will tell you that he is "eat-up with NASCAR fever." Jac is also in student leadership at our church. The coolest thing about Jac is that he has found passion in life, and he is going after it. For most of his life, Jac's parents pushed him consider a career in business, pushing papers in an office and making lots of money. All that is great, but that's just not Jac. As he was about to graduate high school, Jac decided to take a chance. With his love for stock car racing, Jac decided to attend a local community college with a program in motor sports management and engineering (this is North Carolina). Jac is now training to be a tire carrier for a NASCAR team and the word on the street is, he's gonna make it!

So whats the point? The point is that we must live a life full of passion! Without passion, there is no life. Jac isn't going to make a lot of money working on race cars, but he loves what he does. What an inspiration! As leaders, I truly believe that it is our job to encourage and inspire those inside our spear of influence to follow in Jac's footsteps a live lives of passion. It was after all Jesus himself who said to "love God with all your heart (i.e passion)."

So today my challenge to you is simply to do that which you love. Find a way to use your God-given passions and skills in a way that will challenge and inspire those around you to do the same. I really do believe that is the meaning of life, and that this is exactly what God wants for all of us.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman

ACG