What Do You Really Want?
“You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you really want.” ~ Margaret Young
Parenthetically, I find it kind of ironic that the author of today’s quote, who tells us to be who we really are, is Margaret Youngblood. She shortened her name to Young when she took to the theatre. While some might say that wasn’t being true to who she was, her quote still leaves us much to ponder.
I remember many times throughout my youth being challenged by teachers to “discover who you are.” They would tell us students that all the time, encouraging us to discover our inner strengths and talents so that we might be able to develop some strategies for our future lives. It is true that we have to look inside to see who we really are in order to set the course for our lives.
Some people are actors. From a very early age, they prove that they can adopt many characters and pull it off quite convincingly. Some are mathematicians. They can do things with numbers that make others astounded. Others are budding doctors, taking care of other people’s ills. Still others show that want to be veterinarians. They see any sick animal and bring it home in an attempt to nurse it to health.
While it is good to look within to identify our talents and desires so that we can steer our path in life, we have to look even deeper in order to see who we really are. For, when all is said and done, we are really souls, created by God, who yearn to go home one day. We must come into contact with that soul in order to direct our spiritual lives as well. We must remember that this world is a temporary place for us, that our true home is with God, in order to live our lives accordingly.
If we really want to be an actor, we have to put it all on the line and show our talent to the world. If we really want to be a doctor, we have to dedicate years of study as well as internships and fellowships to make that dream a reality. Just so, if we really want to go to heaven, we will do what we need to do: serve one another, forgive those who injure us, and love as Jesus loves.
FAITH ACTION: Live in such a manner today as to show that you really want to go to heaven.