“Idealism is what precedes experience and cynicism is what follows.” David T; Wolfe
Preparing for competition, highly successful teams possess a great amount of idealism. We see it regularly in the eyes of the young, aspiring athletes as they watch their favorite college or professional team play. Imagining themselves in the shoes of those players causes our youth sports programs to thrive. It is followed with middle school and high school sport participation through which they develop a keen sense of understanding about their future.
This same process is reflected in our life journey. We may have envisioned THE EXPERIENCE as one that would be perfect. We get the perfect education, which will be followed by landing the perfect job, then finding the perfect spouse, having perfect children. It doesn’t stop there, we ideally dream of living in the perfect city in a perfect house and driving the perfect car to the perfect church each Sunday. Our favorite scripture preceding all of this might have been …
“I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10
As true as these words are, THE EXPERIENCE also brings with it the realities of life…college debt, stuck on a job ladder, a spouse that isn’t like me, less-than-perfect children, living across the country from where I planned in a much-too-small house while driving my 10-year-old car to an okay church when we have time. Reality has set in and following it my favorite scripture may be…
I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
Both dreams and reality require trust in Christ. Both bring a much-needed balance to THE EXPERIENCE of daily living. Thankfully, as Christ followers cynicism is not the outcome.
May your life be filled with idealism, be tempered by understanding and result in abundance and strength.
IDEALISM + UNDERSTANDING = A CHRIST HONORING LIFE EXPERIENCE
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