~ Switchfoot
When I listen to that song (and I love that song) if I'm truthful I have to answer, "no".
On so many levels, no I'm not.
I want to be so much more across the board.
In the "independent artist" circles I move in, as well as the other worship leaders I meet at churches and events and even "signed" artists I'm friends with I find commonality. We're all aspiring to reach bigger things, the next level, the bigger stage, the higher heights, the wider audience.
When I was a teenager I really thought that if one day I could just lead worship at a youth convention that would be the pinnacle and I'd be so happy. Well, guess what, I've led worship at many youth conventions now, and it's been great and I still love it, but as soon as I was done I wanted bigger things. The bar just automatically gets reset higher at a new goal. Its human nature I guess and it doesn't change no matter what "level" you're functioning at right now - unless we change US.
R.T. Kendall, in his great book The Anointing - Yesterday Today and Tomorrow, says, "We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be entirely the opposite." He goes on to say, "What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself." and "His purpose for me is to depend on Him and His power NOW. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me."
There are so many Biblical examples of people who had dreams that they had to wait for years and years to see come true. There were about 20 hard years between David being anointed King and when he finally actually became King. Joseph had about 13 years between his dreams of greatness and when they finally came true. In these examples their dreams actually came true in God's time because they really were from God. With us, though, there is always the question: "Is my dream really from God - Or is it my pride and ambition fooling me." (Although I'm sure David and Joseph had those exact thoughts too!)
Maybe the only good answer here is to take our hands off of the dreams we think God is leading us to and stop focusing on the end-game. I find myself constantly having to give my dreams back over to God and trust Him in the process rather than how long I think it's taking me to get to my endgame. If God is taking me there He'll take me there. I just need to be who He wants me to be TODAY. For Him my endgame is not His ultimate goal. His real goal is who He's making me along the way.
His real goal is who He's making you along the way.
Now to do something I NEVER thought I'd do. I have to quote a new song my Miley Cyrus: "The Climb" written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe.
There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb
