What Makes You Come Alive?

Howard Thurman said, "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." I first read this comment in Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, and it is something that I have asked many, many men and women in the years since my first reading.

There was a young man one day who was asked what he wanted to do with his life, and he answered that he wanted to be a doctor. Cool, was the response, the world needs good Christian doctors, to which he replied, yeah and I'm going to make a butt load of money too!

I think this is one of the greatest failings in society today. People looking for money as the end result of what they want to do with their lives. Don't get me wrong, we all need money, but to chase that as the end result never ends well for the person doing the chasing. No amount of money can bring you satisfaction or success.

I know too many people who are making the money that they longed for, only to find out that they hate their jobs. Oh it makes them a lot of money, but does making a lot of money truly satisfy a man or woman? No, it may make you comfortable in the knowledge that you have anything you want or desire, but it cannot bring peace. I think this is why Jesus said that you cannot serve two masters.

Ask yourself, does what I do for a living make me come alive, or does it just provide a paycheck? If you answer that it only provides a paycheck, then perhaps you need to reevaluate some things. Ask yourself, what really makes me come alive? And then find out how to do that. If you will do what makes you come alive, the money will find you.

You may be asking yourself, is David doing what makes him come alive? And the answer to you is, yes. I love writing, and I continue to do as much of it as I can. I also continue to sell shoes, which provides me with a paycheck until the next step is revealed and I follow that. I'm not saying to quit your job, but evaluate what makes you come alive, find that, then figure out the steps in doing that. One day you will be able to quit that job that you hate, and do what truly makes you come alive...and that is what the world needs, men and women who are fully alive!