Two Approaches to Life: The Impact on Life, by Will and Jeremy

Will Here:

The emphasis on hard work/responsibility has made it hard for me to enjoy life. I always feel like there is something I need to be doing, and it's hard for me to give myself permission to adventure. There are things I would really like to do, but the responsibility aspect has made me question if it's the best thing I should be doing. More often than not, I've passed on opportunities, and this has caused a lot of frustration in my life. In all honesty, I've been really bored because playing it safe doesn't involve pursuing my passion. I've been waiting for everything to fall into place, because that's when happens when you're responsible, and so I've passed up opportunities that may have jeopardized the future, but in all reality would have most likely helped me pursue my passion sooner.

And then there is faith. I believe that God has called me to a purpose, a purpose that plays to my personality and gifting, but at the same time, a purpose that calls me to live fully alive, that means adventure. Faith has guided my life, my values and choices, and it has also been a source of frustration at times. I've committed my life, profession and all, to God, and it has proven to be something that has not gone according to plan, and the more I pursue it, the more it has caused me to depend on God. Trusting God, at times, really isn't that safe, and it really doesn't seem to be the responsible choice. This has caused me to limit the things I’ve asked God for in prayer, and the extent to which I’ve been willing to trust Him.

I've had a longing for adventure, and a desire to pursue what I'm passionate about. While faith lends itself to this life style, responsibility doesn't necessarily do that. For me, adventure and passion have been set aside for responsibility; I've sacrificed them because I've been afraid of doing something potentially reckless, and it's felt like I've simply existed, not really lived.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!


Jeremy:

The way I have written about how I tend to live life has been slightly romanticized than is actually true. It definitely has it’s drawbacks. It may appear wonderful to live with such a free approach, able to uproot or move and change directions rather easily and fluidly. It has definitely aided me in some of the abrupt life changes that have happened thus far. However, some of those drawbacks are that I have operated with very little long-term plan or perspective in my life and have not been able to build from one stage to the next. There is some practicality to planning that is beneficial in the transition stages because most likely as a planner you have something prepared already ‘just in case’. It may sound spiritual to say that I am going as God leads, and yet, God has always been a God with a plan. The Bible is full of instances where God’s plan is referenced, and His plans always prevail. Because I have had no real plan thus far, I have very little understanding of the direction I want to head. Sometimes it is easier to say that God is in charge when in reality I do not want to face the fact that I am not sure what I want to do or the direction I want to head. It allows me to not take ownership of my life when, I believe, God is actually expecting it of me.