Become you.

This week I have had a few bright lights shine in my eyes and awake my soul. On Wednesday nights I have the privilege of engaging in conversation with 7 guys ranging from 9th grade to 12th grade. I am supposed to be imparting my 29 years of wisdom upon these young impressionable minds, but more often than not they change the way I think. This last week we were conversing about who our role model or idols should be. One guy was struggling with the issue of who a good religious role model would be. This can be a problem because in our culture, basketball players look up to Lebron James, snowboarders look up to Shawn White, and young girls copy the latest fashion styles of Lady Gaga. In our Christian culture, Christians idolize pastors and pastors idolize other pastors. This is where the problems begin.

Because, more often than not...

Pastors will fail you. Your wife will fail you. Your husband will fail you. Art will fail you. Safety will fail you. Financial security will fail you. You will fail if you put faith in "things" and "results".

I'm not the one to be terribly in your face about religion, faith or beliefs but if you live your life searching for happiness in "things" and "results" you will leave this world feeling empty and alone. The "things" we worship can either starve us or give us nourishment. My soul goes through those stages daily, if not hourly and my soul learns more and more through each transition.

Wisdom from others can unlock who you are, but the place I find wisdom is from the Bible. If you are able to remove all the preexisting conditions our culture has placed on it, and remove your own bias and knowledge to look deep within there might be a refreshing point of view awaiting. This is not a call to follow blindly but to experience something from a pure mindset.

Know that you can spend your life following a leader, sports figure, pastor, friend, art form, style or skill but the uniqueness of you will be lost. Think for YOURself, act based on YOUR thoughts, engage in YOUR life.

Become you.