May 2006

“Most Likely To”

I was shocked. It couldn't be true. The nerve of that kid. The world is going down the tubes. I knew it was bad but not that bad. I had recently picked up and scanned through my High School yearbook from my alma mater. Some young kid with black glasses and a plaid jacket had stolen my name. He had even taken my place in the picture of the swim team. That skinny kid had some nerve replacing me. What was even more troubling was one of my favorite teachers, who I thought was ancient, looked a lot like me. Time has a way of changing what you thought was forever.

One of the interesting aspects about the yearbook was not its look back, but its look to the future. Yes, there were plenty of candid pictures of the great events of the past year. But usually there was a section of the seniors telling their plans for the future. In that area of distinguished looking seniors was the section of fun. It was the "Most Likely To" section. The list was something like this:
The most likely to be President (the bossy one)
The most like to be a Millionaire (the one who borrowed out lunch money with interest)
The most likely to make it to Hollywood (the one with the best dramitic presentation of why homework wasn't done)
The most likely to travel the world (they never left town)
The most likely to blow something up (the chemistry geek)
Make up your own. Although it is fun to laugh at what might be, it usually gave high priorities to the things that don't really matter.

May is graduation month. My challenge is to let the graduates and the rest of us think about what we would truly like to be in our life. I'm convinced that what will really help change the world is not what we do, as much as who we are. It is letting the Holy Spirit guide us to impact our world. The words of Galatians 5 encourage us to be most like Christ.

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. 24 Those who blong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. 26 let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.

This month take time to rethink what you would "Most Likely To" be as you live for Christ.

Pastor Craig