Sugar Water or Change The World
In 1983 Steve Jobs of Apple Computer went to Manhattan to recruit John Sculley from Pepsi Cola for a position as president at Apple. Jobs enticed Sculley with a challenge: “If you stay at Pepsi, five years from now all you’ll have accomplished is selling a lot more sugar water to kids. If you come to Apple you can change the world.”
Today begins a new season in my life… I start working at the church full-time. This possible Apple legend just sums it up well: I want to be in a position to change the world.
I am actually starting a 4-week series this Wednesday night in our youth group (Evolution) titled Soundtrack. I am opening it with a message on being part of the Story of God. I am going to use this story to encourage them to dream big and change the world.
I think the problem is too many times someone comes along with something real practical to say and pops our idealistic balloon of changing the world.
I was offered a position once that was above my skill set or level at the time. It definitely was a stretch, but something I had always wanted to do. I was so pumped about it and I remember telling my dad how cool it was and how I had always “dreamed” of doing something like this. I failed to recognize the skeptical look on his face. He said, “What makes you think you can do this?”
I skidded to a stop. The practical. Gotta love it.
“I don’t know… I… uh… I work well with people.” Trying to think of some reason why I was qualified.
In fact, the next day I threw that same thing out to my soon-to-be boss. “So what makes you think I can do this?” The romance was gone. I was trying to find some reason why I fit the part.
He said, “God told me.”
Perfect. So what if this doesn’t work out? Is it God’s fault? Is it my fault for not letting God do what He wants to do?
I think life is not always about the practical. It’s about the romance. The idealism. The thing that’s so big that you don’t fit the part. There are plenty of people who will makes sure we have our eye on the practical. We have to make sure we keep our eye on God.
April 5th, 2005 at 3:36 pm
I can totally relate. So many times I feel like the things that God has called me to do are so much bigger than I am. It makes it a little scary but exciting at the same time. I love to look forward and see the vision God sets before us and go “man, He must see the best in people if He thinks I can pull this off”. I guess that is when you know it’s God…amazing!