I have a good friend, Phil Cooke, who is a talented movie and television producer. He's helped us a lot here at the ministry. Not only has he worked with us, but he has actually produced media programming in more than 40 countries around the world. Phil always has such a positive personality. He's always so full of vision, so creative. You'd think he's been on top of the world since the day he was born. But in his new book, Jolt: Get a Jump on a World That's Constantly Changing, Phil tells about how life gave him an unexpected jolt that launched him into his divine destiny. He writes:
I had been working for a number of years at a media organization in the Midwest, when the man in charge decided it was time for me to move on. He had even pre-written my "resignation" letter. It wasn't because of the quality of my work or the results of my projects, but somehow he decided I just wasn't loyal enough, and had given me four hours to vacate the building.
I had been thinking about leaving for some time, and had even booked a ticket to Los Angeles to see about the possibilities on the West Coast, but being fired always takes you by surprise. It was quick, clean, and efficient. "You're fired. I'd like you out today, and if you want any severance pay, you have to sign the resignation letter we've already written."
I'll never forget telling my wife Kathleen. We had been married about 12 years, and although we had always dreamed about moving to Los Angeles and working in the media and entertainment industries there, it's amazing how you buy a home, have a couple of kids, get locked into your friends, and before long the dream has been replaced by the reality of everyday living. The older you get, the harder change becomes. We kept putting the dream on the shelf, intoxicated by the drug of a regular paycheck, and a mortgage. But now, that life was over. And the slow, thoughtful transition to Los Angeles that I had always imagined was now replaced by a real jolt--the need to make a decision now.
Have you ever rationalized settling for second best? It's amazing how you can make it sound like it's the right thing to do, even when your innermost being is crying out for you to follow your heart and discover your real potential.
It's a good job…
We have good benefits…
The kids are in good schools…
The church is very supportive…
The company is really growing…
I can't take a risk with my family right now…
All our friends are here…
We're close to where our family lives…
People tell me I'd be foolish to pack up and move away now…
I have a lot invested in our retirement account…
There are a million reasons and ways to rationalize keeping your life exactly the same, and I knew them all. Over time, I had been slowly exchanging a dream for security, and giving away my future for what I had convinced myself was the "right" thing to do.
But fortunately, I had the benefit of a serious jolt—getting tossed out on the street. Looking back, it was the best thing that could have possibly happened to me…
Maybe you can relate to Phil's story. Maybe life has given you an unexpected jolt. Maybe a relationship suddenly ended, or you were told you weren't needed at your job anymore. Or, maybe like me when my father went to be with the Lord, you lost a loved one unexpectedly. These "jolts" of life are defining moments that can either hold us back or launch us forward into the divine destiny God has prepared. That's why James 1 tells us to "count it all joy" when we face trials because in those moments when we are jolted out of our comfort zones, we are really getting a supernatural head start down the road of greatness. With God on your side, what looks like a setback is really a set up for a comeback!
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4, NIV).
