I Can Top That
My wife was recently digging through some old files at her parents' place and unearthed a literal time capsule: my resume and cover letter from right before I finished grad school.
Reading it was a humbling experience. That 24-year-old version of me had a very polished "Objective Statement." I thought I was handing God a blueprint; looking back, I realize my vision was limited. At the time, I thought I knew exactly where the road led and exactly what I needed to achieve to be "successful."
Behind the Lens
A few years into that career, I was helping my pastor produce a video for our congregation. We were trying to encourage the church to stop looking in the rearview mirror and start dreaming about the future. I remember being behind the camera as the pastor looked straight into the lens and said:
"Think of the biggest dreams you have for this church, and God will look at you and say, 'I can top that.'"
I was an observer behind the lens, but I have realized those words are applicable for everyone.
The Competition for Control
In the decades since I wrote that resume, I’ve learned that the greatest challenge in leadership—and in life—isn't a lack of talent or opportunity. It is the constant struggle for the driver's seat.
We love to quote Jeremiah 29:11 about a "future and a hope," but we often forget the context. God’s people were in exile. They were in a place they didn't choose, wondering if the plan had failed. The "hope" God promised wasn't a shortcut back to their "Plan A." It was a promise that even in the detours and the pruning, He is building something better.
I’ve realized that what truly matters isn't the title on the resume, but a consistent, surrendered relationship with God. This is one of my life’s core values, but it's one I have to fight for daily because the "rain-drops" of immediate tasks can so easily distort my focus.
Years ago, I wrote these lyrics as a prayer of surrender, and they ring truer today than when I first penned them:
Even though I know this sovereign Lord Things are not always clear Still daily tasks and demands of time Compete for complete control
But I realize there needs to be Only for whom I live Christ Jesus the sovereign Lord To Him first place I give
I live my life as a vessel To be filled with Your love I live my life as a vessel O Lord yes to serve
Take my life, take my time, My talents and my deeds, Fill me up and make me totally Yours.
From Blueprint to Vessel
Looking back at that old resume now, I see the limits of what I could "ask or imagine." I was asking for a job title; God was interested in my character. I was imagining a career path; God was establishing a legacy of His faithfulness.
My life hasn't been a straight line. There were miles of the race that I ran in the dark, and seasons where the "prospering" felt a lot like "pruning." But I’m standing here decades later as proof of what my pastor said on that videotape: God really can "top that."
If your life doesn't look like the resume you planned, or if the demands of time are competing for your peace, don't worry. It probably just means God has had something much better in mind for you. He doesn't want your blueprint; He just wants the vessel.
A Step Toward Surrender: Take five minutes today to look at your current "Objective Statement"—the goals you are striving for right now. Hold them up and pray, "Lord, I give these to You. Top them with Your plan, and make me a vessel for Your use."
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
