1 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,680 S1: No matter your age or your station in life, we 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,400 S1: all long to know our purpose. Why was I put 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,040 S1: on this earth at this moment in time? What was 4 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,720 S1: I made for? Can I know that or do I 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,480 S1: have to keep guessing? Those are haunting questions. And you 6 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,480 S1: can either just keep busy with your life or numb yourself. 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,200 S1: But those questions will surface again and again and again. 8 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:35,000 S1: Maybe that's you today. For many, this search is something 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,200 S1: that you have been on for decades, and you may 10 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,400 S1: may feel like today you're no closer than to an 11 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,879 S1: answer than when you started. I want you to hear 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,199 S1: from Benjamin today at the back fence, because he believes 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,000 S1: you don't need a mission statement for your life. You 14 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,200 S1: don't need a complicated algorithm to compute the answers to 15 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,480 S1: these big questions. What you need is wait for it. 16 00:00:59,850 --> 00:01:04,009 S1: Your life signature. Now, what in the world is that? 17 00:01:04,050 --> 00:01:06,569 S1: We'll go find out together. Straight ahead, on the program. 18 00:01:06,569 --> 00:01:08,569 S1: From the heart to the heart. For the heart. We 19 00:01:08,569 --> 00:01:11,010 S1: call it Chris Fabry live. Because after this long, it 20 00:01:11,010 --> 00:01:13,690 S1: didn't seem like a good idea to change it. So 21 00:01:13,730 --> 00:01:18,250 S1: we're keeping it. Go to Chris Fabry live.org. We thank 22 00:01:18,290 --> 00:01:21,050 S1: our team behind the scenes. Ryan McConaughey doing all things technical. 23 00:01:21,090 --> 00:01:24,850 S1: Trisha is our producer. Lisa's helping out. Josh will be 24 00:01:24,850 --> 00:01:27,530 S1: answering your calls thanks to two Michaels who sat in 25 00:01:27,569 --> 00:01:31,130 S1: for me on Friday while I was away. And thank 26 00:01:31,130 --> 00:01:33,610 S1: you for your support of these conversations. We try to 27 00:01:33,650 --> 00:01:37,570 S1: go deeper during this hour every day. And your support 28 00:01:37,569 --> 00:01:41,370 S1: means we get to continue. Last week, Alison Bixby joined 29 00:01:41,370 --> 00:01:44,530 S1: me one week ago, and we talked about journaling as 30 00:01:44,530 --> 00:01:48,090 S1: a spiritual practice. And this kind of goes along with 31 00:01:48,090 --> 00:01:52,570 S1: our topic today. The book by that title, journaling as 32 00:01:52,570 --> 00:01:56,010 S1: a Spiritual Practice is our thank you right now. And 33 00:01:56,010 --> 00:01:58,770 S1: my guess is there's somebody listening who needs the freedom 34 00:01:58,770 --> 00:02:02,610 S1: that you can find through journaling. Alison writes, this book 35 00:02:02,610 --> 00:02:07,410 S1: is an invitation into the richness of God's imagination, creativity, 36 00:02:07,410 --> 00:02:11,730 S1: and words to discover his presence with us right here, 37 00:02:11,730 --> 00:02:15,930 S1: right now in the stories we are living. Call or 38 00:02:15,930 --> 00:02:18,690 S1: click through. Give a gift of any size and we'll 39 00:02:18,690 --> 00:02:23,889 S1: send you that journaling as a Spiritual Practice book. Eight, six, six, nine, 40 00:02:23,930 --> 00:02:29,049 S1: five is our number or the website. Chris Fabry live.org. 41 00:02:29,690 --> 00:02:34,010 S1: It's about living an examined life rather than one that 42 00:02:34,010 --> 00:02:40,410 S1: is unexamined. Let us hear from you today at (866) 953-2279, 43 00:02:40,650 --> 00:02:43,770 S1: or go to Chris Fabry live dot ORG. And thanks 44 00:02:43,770 --> 00:02:48,369 S1: for your support of the Radio Backyard fence. Benjamin Wendell 45 00:02:48,370 --> 00:02:51,330 S1: is his name and it's spelled like Kindle, but with 46 00:02:51,330 --> 00:02:54,410 S1: a W. He is on a mission to help you 47 00:02:54,410 --> 00:02:58,860 S1: discover how you are uniquely designed to build an irreplaceable 48 00:02:58,860 --> 00:03:02,700 S1: life of purpose. He's a speaker and author, creator of 49 00:03:02,700 --> 00:03:07,020 S1: the Life Signature Framework. He holds an MBA and has 50 00:03:07,020 --> 00:03:12,020 S1: completed executive education at MIT Sloan and at Stanford. He 51 00:03:12,020 --> 00:03:13,700 S1: and his wife, Cindy, have been married for more than 52 00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:16,940 S1: 20 years. They live in Australia and the U.S., though 53 00:03:16,980 --> 00:03:21,339 S1: just recently they've moved here full time in the last 54 00:03:21,340 --> 00:03:25,380 S1: few months. Three sons, Houston, BJ, and Jameson. Our featured 55 00:03:25,380 --> 00:03:30,420 S1: resource is your life signature. Three simple questions to find 56 00:03:30,419 --> 00:03:34,580 S1: your purpose and love your life. Benjamin, welcome to the program. 57 00:03:34,580 --> 00:03:35,580 S1: How are you doing today? 58 00:03:35,980 --> 00:03:38,580 S2: I'm doing good, Chris. It's a real joy to be 59 00:03:38,580 --> 00:03:41,100 S2: with you and have this conversation with you. Thank you. 60 00:03:41,540 --> 00:03:44,460 S1: And the book comes out tomorrow. So we are on 61 00:03:44,460 --> 00:03:47,740 S1: the front edge of this. Yeah. And I think this 62 00:03:47,740 --> 00:03:50,020 S1: is going to Benjamin. I think this is really going 63 00:03:50,060 --> 00:03:52,900 S1: to open some people's eyes today who are listening, who 64 00:03:52,900 --> 00:03:55,260 S1: are sitting a little closer to the radio now. Why 65 00:03:55,260 --> 00:03:57,980 S1: don't you tell me how you. Because this was a 66 00:03:58,020 --> 00:04:00,260 S1: long process for you. But how did you come up 67 00:04:00,260 --> 00:04:01,980 S1: with your life signature? 68 00:04:02,740 --> 00:04:06,660 S2: It it is a long process because, you know, this 69 00:04:06,660 --> 00:04:09,260 S2: is an ecosystem. It's a book. It's a premium assessment. 70 00:04:09,260 --> 00:04:14,619 S2: It's coaching. And, uh, I think, Chris, for me to 71 00:04:14,660 --> 00:04:18,020 S2: tragedy that we look in the world today and see 72 00:04:18,060 --> 00:04:22,860 S2: people that were literally wired for purpose, they're disengaged, they're 73 00:04:22,860 --> 00:04:26,180 S2: burnt out, they're watching their life go by. And I 74 00:04:26,220 --> 00:04:28,060 S2: wanted to speak into it. You know, it's interesting. I 75 00:04:28,060 --> 00:04:30,820 S2: came to the US for the first time over 20 76 00:04:30,820 --> 00:04:35,979 S2: years ago. And at that point, The Purpose Driven Life 77 00:04:35,980 --> 00:04:38,900 S2: by Rick Warren was a cultural phenomenon. I mean, just 78 00:04:38,900 --> 00:04:43,060 S2: sweeping the globe. You now fast forward, you know, what, 79 00:04:43,100 --> 00:04:47,900 S2: 25 years later and a recent Harvard study found that 80 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:53,460 S2: over 50% of Americans say their lives lack purpose or meaning. 81 00:04:53,980 --> 00:04:58,229 S2: I would call that a purpose crises. And so I 82 00:04:58,230 --> 00:05:01,150 S2: think we need to have a new conversation on what 83 00:05:01,150 --> 00:05:03,950 S2: purpose looks like in a new world. And your life 84 00:05:03,950 --> 00:05:06,710 S2: signature is my contribution to that conversation. 85 00:05:07,070 --> 00:05:09,670 S1: And this as you go to Scripture and you look 86 00:05:09,710 --> 00:05:13,030 S1: at the people who populate the scripture, there are different 87 00:05:13,029 --> 00:05:16,070 S1: touch points. Moses is a big, big person that you 88 00:05:16,070 --> 00:05:18,830 S1: use throughout the book. But you say the story of 89 00:05:18,830 --> 00:05:22,830 S1: purpose in Scripture is one of tearing down what is broken. 90 00:05:23,190 --> 00:05:25,230 S1: So not just to tear it down, but so that 91 00:05:25,230 --> 00:05:28,190 S1: we can build what is good. Talk about that. 92 00:05:29,110 --> 00:05:32,469 S2: I mean, I could talk about Moses central figure in 93 00:05:32,470 --> 00:05:37,350 S2: the book because we often just spotlight one chapter like 94 00:05:37,350 --> 00:05:40,910 S2: his great successes. But before I get there, the key verse, 95 00:05:40,950 --> 00:05:43,430 S2: the pilot verse of the book is Isaiah two four, 96 00:05:43,430 --> 00:05:48,029 S2: which speaks exactly to what you're describing, which says, they 97 00:05:48,029 --> 00:05:54,270 S2: shall beat their swords into plowshares or shovels. And there's 98 00:05:54,270 --> 00:05:58,469 S2: a statue called the statue in the gardens of the 99 00:05:58,470 --> 00:06:00,830 S2: United Nations in New York City. I've been there myself. 100 00:06:00,830 --> 00:06:02,310 S2: I've gone and looked at this statue. And if you 101 00:06:02,310 --> 00:06:05,950 S2: look closely, you will find a plaque, an inscription on 102 00:06:05,950 --> 00:06:10,230 S2: the statue, statue of Isaiah, chapter two, verse four. You're like, well, 103 00:06:10,230 --> 00:06:13,430 S2: what relevance does that have? Well, that statue was a 104 00:06:13,470 --> 00:06:16,950 S2: gift to the United Nations during the tail end of 105 00:06:16,950 --> 00:06:21,550 S2: the Cold War. And there's this prophetic echo, I think, 106 00:06:21,550 --> 00:06:25,790 S2: that exists today, this idea of to beat your sword 107 00:06:25,790 --> 00:06:28,430 S2: into a ploughshare or a shovel. If you think about 108 00:06:28,430 --> 00:06:31,870 S2: those two images, a sword and a shovel, the sword 109 00:06:31,870 --> 00:06:35,469 S2: is a tool of deconstruction. Well, we're pretty good at 110 00:06:35,510 --> 00:06:38,349 S2: that today. We're good at outrage. We're good at anger. 111 00:06:38,350 --> 00:06:43,270 S2: We're good at tearing things down. Isaiah instructs the human spirit. 112 00:06:43,589 --> 00:06:47,590 S2: At some point, you need to bend that whatever that 113 00:06:47,589 --> 00:06:52,280 S2: is within your soul, to not just wield a sword, 114 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:54,760 S2: but to have a shovel. Now, if you come over 115 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:56,560 S2: to my house, you're not going to see a shovel 116 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,400 S2: on a wall like a piece of art. It's out 117 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,560 S2: in the shed. It's a tool of cultivation. It's a 118 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,640 S2: tool of construction. And my encouragement is, I guess, especially 119 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,479 S2: with social media the way it is, it is. It's 120 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:13,400 S2: not enough to just look at all issues in the world, 121 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,440 S2: throw some stones from a distance. We're not created for 122 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:23,480 S2: numbing ourselves with endless doom scrolling. We have a unique 123 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:28,120 S2: contribution to make when we are making that unique contribution. 124 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:30,360 S2: We love our lives. We love our lives in a 125 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:32,800 S2: healthy sense, in the sense of not just waiting for 126 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,040 S2: weekends to come, but waking up on a Monday morning 127 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,320 S2: with a bounce in our step because our lives are 128 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,240 S2: making a difference. And I think we've become a culture 129 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:46,760 S2: largely of swords and not enough shovels. But you can 130 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,600 S2: only pick up a shovel when you know your life's 131 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,040 S2: signature and how you've been wired. 132 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,640 S1: Not only not only that, but throughout the book you 133 00:07:55,640 --> 00:08:00,440 S1: talk about this. We've we've based our weather. Whether we've 134 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:05,720 S1: found our purpose in the numbers, in the success in 135 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,120 S1: the even. You got to struggle with that because the 136 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,960 S1: book comes out tomorrow. It's like, is this book a success? 137 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:14,400 S1: You know, how many does it have to sell? You know, 138 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:16,600 S1: how many people, how many people have to read it 139 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,440 S1: or check it out in the library? When to find 140 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,960 S1: success and you keep pushing back and saying, no, that's 141 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,600 S1: not it. Because you have. And we have so many 142 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,280 S1: stories of people in popular culture who have climbed to 143 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:31,520 S1: the top of the mountain and they've they've seen I'm 144 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,960 S1: on the wrong side here. I'm on the wrong mountain. 145 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,240 S1: I don't have that feeling that I really want to get. 146 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,960 S1: So let me I'll take a break here. Benjamin Wendell 147 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:45,240 S1: is with us. Your life signature three simple questions to 148 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:49,130 S1: find your purpose and love your life as our featured resource. 149 00:08:49,170 --> 00:08:51,570 S1: And let me just read this part of it. Your 150 00:08:51,570 --> 00:08:56,610 S1: life signature, he says, is the unique pattern of purpose 151 00:08:56,890 --> 00:09:01,809 S1: God wove into you. And there are three aspects of 152 00:09:01,850 --> 00:09:07,170 S1: that your passion, your gift, and your burden. And if 153 00:09:07,210 --> 00:09:11,130 S1: you draw three circles and have those circles come together 154 00:09:11,130 --> 00:09:14,450 S1: in one spot, that's what they are the passion, the gift, 155 00:09:14,490 --> 00:09:17,090 S1: the burden. We're going to talk about that and what 156 00:09:17,090 --> 00:09:20,530 S1: it means about you. And how do you find that 157 00:09:20,730 --> 00:09:25,090 S1: your life signature. Straight ahead on Moody Radio. Here's the 158 00:09:25,090 --> 00:09:31,010 S1: number (877) 548-3675. If you have a question or comment, go 159 00:09:31,010 --> 00:09:34,010 S1: to the website. You'll see a link to your life 160 00:09:34,010 --> 00:09:47,370 S1: signature by Benjamin Wendell, Chris Fabry live.org. What is your 161 00:09:47,690 --> 00:09:52,690 S1: life signature? What is your life purpose? Benjamin Wendell says 162 00:09:52,690 --> 00:09:56,130 S1: it's not a formula. It's not a five step plan. 163 00:09:56,730 --> 00:10:00,210 S1: It's the discovery of what was already written into you 164 00:10:00,210 --> 00:10:03,450 S1: before you were born. You were not going to find 165 00:10:03,490 --> 00:10:08,050 S1: this by scrolling. And he says most people never find it, 166 00:10:08,050 --> 00:10:11,010 S1: not because it isn't there, but because nobody's ever taught 167 00:10:11,010 --> 00:10:16,450 S1: them where to look. It's discovered by paying attention to 168 00:10:16,490 --> 00:10:22,130 S1: the fire, the strength, and the ache that's already inside you. 169 00:10:22,130 --> 00:10:25,050 S1: You don't chase it. You don't chase your life's signature. 170 00:10:25,050 --> 00:10:29,250 S1: You uncover it. Or as I've heard another author talk 171 00:10:29,290 --> 00:10:33,530 S1: about this, you step into it. You. You realize it 172 00:10:33,570 --> 00:10:39,130 S1: while you're swimming in it, and you look around and say, oh, this, 173 00:10:39,130 --> 00:10:42,090 S1: this is it. So I hope the light comes on 174 00:10:42,090 --> 00:10:45,569 S1: for somebody today. Benjamin has written your life's signature three 175 00:10:45,570 --> 00:10:48,940 S1: simple questions to find your purpose and love your life. 176 00:10:49,059 --> 00:10:51,459 S1: Let's pick up right there. Do you agree with me 177 00:10:51,460 --> 00:10:54,220 S1: about the stepping into metaphor? 178 00:10:55,380 --> 00:10:57,699 S3: I do. Chris. You know, I think that we have 179 00:10:57,700 --> 00:11:02,820 S3: been encoded. We've been wired. Psalm 139 says, we were 180 00:11:02,820 --> 00:11:07,260 S3: knit together in our mother's womb. We're fearfully and wonderfully made. 181 00:11:07,540 --> 00:11:10,820 S3: That speaks of an artist, a craftsman. We've been designed. 182 00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:13,980 S3: And it's not one size fits all with purpose. A 183 00:11:14,020 --> 00:11:18,780 S3: lot of people spend their lives chasing opportunities thinking that's 184 00:11:18,780 --> 00:11:22,420 S3: going to fill the bucket, right? When we reverse it, 185 00:11:22,420 --> 00:11:26,100 S3: and it's more about understanding this, this is the way 186 00:11:26,100 --> 00:11:29,939 S3: I've been wired. You can put me in any environment. 187 00:11:30,140 --> 00:11:33,500 S3: And because I know the mix of my three circles, 188 00:11:33,500 --> 00:11:35,980 S3: I've answered these three questions for myself. I know I 189 00:11:35,980 --> 00:11:38,420 S3: can make a meaningful contribution and live with purpose. 190 00:11:39,940 --> 00:11:44,020 S1: Yeah. So talk about those three circles. Passion, gift, burden. 191 00:11:44,020 --> 00:11:45,590 S1: Can you unpack that for me? 192 00:11:46,070 --> 00:11:48,230 S3: Yeah. This is this is the heart of it, Chris. 193 00:11:48,270 --> 00:11:52,949 S3: I mean, every human being needs to answer these three 194 00:11:52,950 --> 00:11:56,829 S3: questions to live a life of purpose. Number one, what 195 00:11:56,830 --> 00:12:00,190 S3: is my passion? That's the fire within you. A lot 196 00:12:00,230 --> 00:12:04,190 S3: of people have to be honest, Chris. The fire went 197 00:12:04,190 --> 00:12:07,230 S3: out years ago. But the right kind of fire, it 198 00:12:07,270 --> 00:12:11,670 S3: renews you, it energizes you. You actually feel unstoppable. So 199 00:12:11,670 --> 00:12:15,829 S3: you need to know your passion in life. Secondly, your gift, 200 00:12:15,830 --> 00:12:20,270 S3: that's your strengths. That's when the blade is sharp in life. Like, 201 00:12:20,670 --> 00:12:22,949 S3: you know, I can spend hours trying to learn the piano, 202 00:12:22,950 --> 00:12:26,550 S3: Chris and I can learn it, but my gift is 203 00:12:26,550 --> 00:12:32,070 S3: the pen. And I feel God when I write. I 204 00:12:32,070 --> 00:12:37,030 S3: can practice basketball. And you know, Steph Curry has a gift. 205 00:12:37,230 --> 00:12:40,070 S3: He's the greatest shooter in NBA history. Sure I can, 206 00:12:40,070 --> 00:12:42,750 S3: I can get to a certain level. But when you 207 00:12:42,750 --> 00:12:46,189 S3: live from your gift, it's just the results. The fruit, 208 00:12:46,190 --> 00:12:50,670 S3: like life works. But we've got to find our true gift, 209 00:12:50,710 --> 00:12:53,350 S3: not just what sits on the surface, but really the 210 00:12:53,390 --> 00:12:56,350 S3: gift beneath how God has wired us. Because God's given 211 00:12:56,350 --> 00:13:00,630 S3: everyone gifts and then our burden. This is the most important, Chris. 212 00:13:00,630 --> 00:13:02,670 S3: And I think it's kind of what's missing largely from 213 00:13:02,670 --> 00:13:07,990 S3: the purpose, frameworks and conversations in mainstream culture. And that 214 00:13:07,990 --> 00:13:12,270 S3: is the weight that we were designed to carry. And 215 00:13:12,270 --> 00:13:15,069 S3: that almost would feel like a contradiction to a lot 216 00:13:15,070 --> 00:13:18,470 S3: of people. Why would I want a burden? Why would 217 00:13:18,470 --> 00:13:22,470 S3: I want a weight? Well, the burden is the ache 218 00:13:22,710 --> 00:13:26,750 S3: in your heart that orients your gift and your passion 219 00:13:26,750 --> 00:13:30,189 S3: towards making a difference in the world. In fact, I'll 220 00:13:30,190 --> 00:13:32,110 S3: say it this way, Chris. I can scrunch up a 221 00:13:32,110 --> 00:13:34,350 S3: piece of paper right here on my desk and throw it, 222 00:13:34,590 --> 00:13:37,470 S3: and maybe it makes a few feet, right? But it 223 00:13:37,470 --> 00:13:41,470 S3: lacks weight. You can throw a baseball, you know, for 224 00:13:41,470 --> 00:13:43,760 S3: a long way. Or in Australia they can throw a 225 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,440 S3: cricket ball. You can throw a football right down the field. 226 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:51,640 S3: So weight gives carrying power. To have a burden means 227 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:56,680 S3: there is a need in the world that you feel 228 00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:01,600 S3: so compelled to make a difference in, that it actually 229 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,840 S3: gives a healthy weight and meaning to your life. 230 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:09,360 S1: The way that I have seen that play out in 231 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:13,800 S1: the folks that I've talked with here is many times 232 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,600 S1: that burden that they have is a wound in their 233 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,960 S1: own life. Something has happened or they've made some kind 234 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,320 S1: of mistake in their life. I just got an email 235 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:27,440 S1: from someone who has has had a prison ministry because 236 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,320 S1: he went to prison, and now his ministry is reaching 237 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:35,360 S1: into the lives of particularly men in prison and trying 238 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,360 S1: to give them freedom while they were incarcerated. The wound 239 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:44,160 S1: becomes this place of healing in the person and then 240 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,720 S1: spills over onto other people. Is that what you're talking about? 241 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,720 S3: I think the word wound is it's such a special 242 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:53,960 S3: word and it's I appreciate you saying it. It's a 243 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,200 S3: meaningful word. The example in the book, your life signature 244 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,800 S3: is Moses. And, you know, we know this man was wounded. 245 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,640 S3: He committed murder. He he runs to the desert for 246 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:11,240 S3: 40 years. And when God finally appears to this man, 247 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,760 S3: 40 years of silence, God shows up as a as 248 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,920 S3: a fire, a bush that is on fire but doesn't burn. 249 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,080 S3: There was something about that moment when God speaks to him. 250 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:26,240 S3: He says, I've seen the injustice. The wound in Moses 251 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,360 S3: is the slavery of his people. He's seen it. It's 252 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:34,880 S3: affected his own life. And God uses that wound. That's 253 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,680 S3: the burden in a healthy sense. That's the injustice that I. 254 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,170 S3: I can't stop scrolling when I see that I can't 255 00:15:41,170 --> 00:15:43,450 S3: sleep at night because someone's going to make a difference 256 00:15:43,450 --> 00:15:46,930 S3: in that area. God uses the pain that he went 257 00:15:46,930 --> 00:15:50,570 S3: through for his own people to almost be the motor, 258 00:15:51,010 --> 00:15:54,530 S3: the motor that drives Moses. And I think that's what 259 00:15:54,530 --> 00:15:57,290 S3: living with calling is, right? Living with calling is knowing 260 00:15:57,530 --> 00:15:59,890 S3: God can take the wounds and the pains and the 261 00:15:59,890 --> 00:16:03,290 S3: hardships of my life, and he can turn that towards 262 00:16:03,290 --> 00:16:05,770 S3: me being able to build something more beautiful in the world. 263 00:16:06,890 --> 00:16:11,050 S1: I think, and we're getting really deep here. Uh, and again, 264 00:16:11,050 --> 00:16:13,290 S1: if you want to ask a question, make a comment. 265 00:16:13,290 --> 00:16:15,890 S1: I'd love to hear from you today. Your life signature 266 00:16:15,890 --> 00:16:20,450 S1: is written by Benjamin Wendell. But the, the struggle that 267 00:16:20,450 --> 00:16:23,050 S1: I have with what you've just said is not that 268 00:16:23,050 --> 00:16:26,290 S1: I don't believe it's true. It's that I think we 269 00:16:26,690 --> 00:16:30,330 S1: we can get it off kilter in some ways and, 270 00:16:30,650 --> 00:16:36,570 S1: and think that that circle of burden is our identity 271 00:16:36,970 --> 00:16:40,210 S1: and that we rush toward that one circle. I'm going 272 00:16:40,250 --> 00:16:42,490 S1: to find my purpose in life by looking at the 273 00:16:42,490 --> 00:16:47,130 S1: burden and making that and and escaping, going past the 274 00:16:47,130 --> 00:16:52,690 S1: passion and the gift. If you make your identity anything 275 00:16:52,730 --> 00:16:57,050 S1: other than who God means you to means you to be, 276 00:16:57,610 --> 00:17:00,810 S1: you're not going to reach the level of loving your 277 00:17:00,810 --> 00:17:03,250 S1: life or however you want to talk, that you know, 278 00:17:03,290 --> 00:17:07,210 S1: a level of impact on somebody else's life or in, 279 00:17:07,210 --> 00:17:09,770 S1: in the joy that you can have, you're not going 280 00:17:09,850 --> 00:17:13,490 S1: to get that if you are off kilter with any 281 00:17:13,530 --> 00:17:16,250 S1: either of these three circles. Is that true? 282 00:17:17,530 --> 00:17:19,850 S3: Yeah. I mean, I think I've been through that myself, 283 00:17:20,010 --> 00:17:24,730 S3: you know, call that an identity crisis after pastoring vocationally 284 00:17:24,730 --> 00:17:27,290 S3: full time for 20 years and then stopping stepping into 285 00:17:27,330 --> 00:17:30,050 S3: something brand new. It's funny, Chris, I kind of thought 286 00:17:30,050 --> 00:17:31,450 S3: at the time when I did that, it was about 287 00:17:31,450 --> 00:17:35,010 S3: five years ago. I hear people having an identity crisis 288 00:17:35,010 --> 00:17:37,979 S3: that's never going to be me, you know? Next day, 289 00:17:38,740 --> 00:17:43,340 S3: massive identity crisis. So it's human nature that we attach 290 00:17:43,340 --> 00:17:48,740 S3: our sense of value to what we do. And you're right. 291 00:17:48,740 --> 00:17:50,939 S3: It's also one of the great risks. It's not in 292 00:17:50,940 --> 00:17:53,139 S3: the book, but it's in the premium assessment. There are 293 00:17:53,140 --> 00:17:55,780 S3: actually three zones you can land in if you're not 294 00:17:55,780 --> 00:17:59,140 S3: finding your genius spot, which is the intersection, it's coherence 295 00:17:59,380 --> 00:18:02,740 S3: of how you've been wired. And it's why I can 296 00:18:02,740 --> 00:18:06,460 S3: have a burden for something. But if it's not my gift, 297 00:18:06,700 --> 00:18:09,179 S3: it can lead to frustration. The three zones are the 298 00:18:09,180 --> 00:18:12,900 S3: frustration zone, the drift zone, and the burnout zone. We 299 00:18:12,900 --> 00:18:17,300 S3: know that we have a burnout epidemic. And Chris, I 300 00:18:17,300 --> 00:18:20,380 S3: say this with sensitivity because I know it's a complex subject, 301 00:18:20,820 --> 00:18:24,379 S3: but the answer to burnout is not just about getting 302 00:18:24,380 --> 00:18:28,060 S3: away on a forest retreat, going on a cruise, sitting 303 00:18:28,060 --> 00:18:31,300 S3: by a beach, and then coming back to your life 304 00:18:31,780 --> 00:18:34,700 S3: that caused you to be depleted and burned out in 305 00:18:34,700 --> 00:18:39,139 S3: the first place. It's actually discovering more of how you've 306 00:18:39,140 --> 00:18:42,780 S3: been wired to live. Because when you're living from that spot, 307 00:18:43,460 --> 00:18:46,179 S3: it actually energizes you. And I think that there's a 308 00:18:46,180 --> 00:18:49,580 S3: lot in the whole picture of the bush that's on 309 00:18:49,580 --> 00:18:53,540 S3: fire that doesn't burn. It's not destroyed by the fire. 310 00:18:53,820 --> 00:18:57,780 S3: It's sustainable. And that's why if we're trying to live 311 00:18:57,780 --> 00:19:02,260 S3: somebody else's story, somebody else's shape, somebody else's narrative, it 312 00:19:02,260 --> 00:19:05,180 S3: doesn't work for us. It has to be the identification 313 00:19:05,180 --> 00:19:09,180 S3: of how we have been uniquely shaped. That's what our 314 00:19:09,180 --> 00:19:10,260 S3: signature is all about. 315 00:19:11,140 --> 00:19:14,419 S1: There is a an example that you give in the book. 316 00:19:14,420 --> 00:19:18,260 S1: His name is Nicholas Winton. Tell us his story. Why 317 00:19:18,260 --> 00:19:19,220 S1: is he important? 318 00:19:20,260 --> 00:19:25,460 S3: You know, I love the story of Nicholas Winton because 319 00:19:25,460 --> 00:19:30,180 S3: the guy is largely unknown, right? He's a young stockbroker. 320 00:19:30,180 --> 00:19:36,030 S3: 1939 the guy is doing administrative paperwork to help Jewish 321 00:19:36,030 --> 00:19:42,950 S3: children trapped in Czechoslovakia. That's the word. As the shadow 322 00:19:43,109 --> 00:19:47,310 S3: of Hitler grows, he helps the board trains. He helps 323 00:19:47,310 --> 00:19:51,310 S3: them with their passports. No recognition. In fact, nobody knows 324 00:19:51,310 --> 00:19:54,950 S3: of this. Chris. I mean, think about this. He does 325 00:19:54,950 --> 00:20:00,190 S3: this in secret. He doesn't even tell his wife. He 326 00:20:00,190 --> 00:20:05,710 S3: raises a family, and half a century passes, and his 327 00:20:05,710 --> 00:20:10,830 S3: wife discovers a dusty scrapbook in the attic filled with names. Now, 328 00:20:10,830 --> 00:20:15,350 S3: fast forward. This story reaches the BBC. They do a 329 00:20:15,350 --> 00:20:19,869 S3: special called That's Life. He is in the studio audience 330 00:20:20,470 --> 00:20:22,670 S3: and the host begins to tell a story. She holds 331 00:20:22,670 --> 00:20:26,430 S3: up a scrapbook. She shows his handwriting, and she asks, 332 00:20:26,470 --> 00:20:29,590 S3: is there anyone in our audience tonight who owes their 333 00:20:29,590 --> 00:20:33,869 S3: life to Nicholas Winton? If so, could you please stand up? 334 00:20:34,510 --> 00:20:40,149 S3: At first, one person stands, then another, eventually row after row. 335 00:20:40,710 --> 00:20:45,950 S3: They were the very children, the grandchildren of the people 336 00:20:45,950 --> 00:20:50,550 S3: that he saved. And he sits there weeping. Of course, 337 00:20:50,590 --> 00:20:55,310 S3: it was 669 children that he saved. He didn't set 338 00:20:55,310 --> 00:20:59,790 S3: out to be great. He just set out to be faithful, 339 00:21:00,830 --> 00:21:05,389 S3: even in obscurity. Feeling invisible. And we have to understand 340 00:21:05,390 --> 00:21:09,950 S3: this today. Fame is not purpose. Accomplishment is not purpose. 341 00:21:09,950 --> 00:21:13,550 S3: Wealth is not purpose. I know this first because I've 342 00:21:13,550 --> 00:21:19,990 S3: chased them all myself. Being faithful is a great breadcrumb 343 00:21:19,990 --> 00:21:22,270 S3: that we can start to follow to what it means 344 00:21:22,270 --> 00:21:26,030 S3: to live a purposeful life. And Nicholas Winton has. It's 345 00:21:26,030 --> 00:21:28,230 S3: why I wrote about him. I just found his story 346 00:21:28,230 --> 00:21:29,270 S3: so inspiring. 347 00:21:29,790 --> 00:21:35,120 S1: Well, and the 669, you know, and that's that's wonderful. 348 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:37,760 S1: But even that number is. And you think of the 349 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,200 S1: children and the grandchildren of those people. But even that 350 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:46,040 S1: it could have been one one would have been enough for, 351 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:50,639 S1: for him to, for us to learn the, the, the 352 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,160 S1: life signature that you're talking about rescue those being led 353 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,919 S1: to slaughter. I mean, that's what he was doing. So, 354 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,760 S1: so that burden circle that you're talking about is what 355 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,960 S1: is it? And it, I hesitate to say it could 356 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,040 S1: be on social media because social media just makes me 357 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:13,080 S1: angry about everything, you know, but, but as I'm sitting 358 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,840 S1: in the still and the quiet, I had a cup 359 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:21,480 S1: of coffee in the morning or glass mug of tea, whatever. And, 360 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,960 S1: and I'm thinking about what is it that really is this, 361 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:30,560 S1: this nerve that keeps getting touched? Why is that? What 362 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:35,159 S1: you're saying is that is a clue to part of 363 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:36,040 S1: our purpose. 364 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,760 S3: It's a clue. And you're so right. The 669, we 365 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:42,840 S3: can get hung up on that. I'm just kind of 366 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:45,800 S3: fascinated by the fact that. What does it say to 367 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,640 S3: the health of this man's soul that he didn't feel 368 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,960 S3: the need to tell anybody? Yeah. I mean, just think 369 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,600 S3: about that. He didn't even need to tell his wife. 370 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,360 S3: I to me, I look at that and I'm just 371 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:02,040 S3: amazed by it. And so yeah, we have to find clues. 372 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:05,080 S3: It's one of the ironies of purpose. We need purpose. 373 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:09,560 S3: Like we need oxygen. It's an essential to a healthy life. 374 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:14,320 S3: And yet here's the irony. It doesn't come to us prepackaged. 375 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:18,160 S3: We have to forge purpose. We have to piece things together. 376 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,960 S3: We have to put the puzzle together of how God 377 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,520 S3: wired us. And looking at your gift, your passion, and 378 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,119 S3: your burden is one way of helping to identify God. 379 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:30,330 S3: You've wired me in this unique way. And if I 380 00:23:30,330 --> 00:23:32,649 S3: can live from that, it's like living from the sweet 381 00:23:32,650 --> 00:23:36,250 S3: spot on a tennis racquet. It's like life feels like 382 00:23:36,250 --> 00:23:40,170 S3: it just works for me versus me. Why am I tired? 383 00:23:40,170 --> 00:23:43,169 S3: Why can I? I sleep and I still wake up lethargic. 384 00:23:43,170 --> 00:23:45,730 S3: Why do I feel like I'm late? I'm behind in life. 385 00:23:45,730 --> 00:23:50,250 S3: I'm feeling disengaged. In fact, just today, Chris new research 386 00:23:50,250 --> 00:23:52,490 S3: came out. I mean, this is from a Gallup poll. 387 00:23:53,090 --> 00:24:00,050 S3: This is today. Only 29% of US employees feel engaged 388 00:24:00,050 --> 00:24:05,170 S3: at work. That's the lowest in 15 years. And it 389 00:24:05,170 --> 00:24:11,730 S3: says this workers are losing their passion for work. These 390 00:24:11,730 --> 00:24:15,730 S3: are very real numbers and very real trends. And I 391 00:24:15,730 --> 00:24:19,130 S3: think that's why this whole conversation on on purpose and 392 00:24:19,130 --> 00:24:22,129 S3: knowing how you've been wired has become so important. 393 00:24:22,690 --> 00:24:25,530 S1: I do too. I do too, and I, and I, 394 00:24:25,690 --> 00:24:29,580 S1: I think of myself, you know, 20, 30, 40 years 395 00:24:29,580 --> 00:24:33,820 S1: ago and the struggle to, you know, figure out, okay, God, 396 00:24:33,820 --> 00:24:35,660 S1: what what do you want me to do here? I'll 397 00:24:35,700 --> 00:24:37,459 S1: do whatever you want me to do. Just show me 398 00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:40,020 S1: what what you want me to do. As I was 399 00:24:40,020 --> 00:24:42,260 S1: going through this, I thought, oh, I wish I'd had 400 00:24:42,260 --> 00:24:46,020 S1: this 40 years ago. And then I thought, no, it's 401 00:24:46,020 --> 00:24:52,020 S1: okay if what you're talking about is waking up to 402 00:24:52,060 --> 00:24:55,060 S1: who you who he's made you to be, who you 403 00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:58,820 S1: are so that you can have the impact that he 404 00:24:58,820 --> 00:25:02,340 S1: wants you to make in the world and not judge that, 405 00:25:02,340 --> 00:25:06,220 S1: not be judgmental of it. If it doesn't live up 406 00:25:06,220 --> 00:25:09,899 S1: to your expectations or my expectations. So I'll take another 407 00:25:09,900 --> 00:25:16,659 S1: time out. Benjamin Wendell, WINDLE has written a really good 408 00:25:16,700 --> 00:25:19,020 S1: book for those who are. And you may think this 409 00:25:19,020 --> 00:25:21,460 S1: is for younger people. I think it's for people in 410 00:25:21,460 --> 00:25:26,260 S1: my age group and even older. Your life signature Three 411 00:25:26,260 --> 00:25:30,300 S1: simple questions to find your purpose and love your life. 412 00:25:30,300 --> 00:25:34,100 S1: It's our featured resource at Chris Fabry live.org. It comes 413 00:25:34,100 --> 00:25:38,380 S1: out tomorrow. It releases tomorrow. So we're right here on 414 00:25:38,380 --> 00:25:41,460 S1: the front edge of this. We're going to talk more 415 00:25:41,460 --> 00:25:46,220 S1: about those three circles and how to find that life 416 00:25:46,260 --> 00:26:04,500 S1: signature coming up straight ahead (877) 548-3675. I think this is 417 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:08,020 S1: a really important conversation we're having today with Benjamin Wendell. 418 00:26:08,020 --> 00:26:11,340 S1: And if you are going through some of these deep questions, 419 00:26:11,619 --> 00:26:14,620 S1: maybe on the front part of your life, front part 420 00:26:14,619 --> 00:26:17,139 S1: of the work, you know what I do for work? 421 00:26:17,300 --> 00:26:20,020 S1: Maybe you're burned out in your work and you think 422 00:26:20,100 --> 00:26:22,460 S1: there's really no purpose. Somebody else could do this job. 423 00:26:22,540 --> 00:26:25,430 S1: I'm sitting in somebody else's See, you know, that that 424 00:26:25,430 --> 00:26:28,150 S1: kind of thing, or you're looking back on your life 425 00:26:28,150 --> 00:26:30,430 S1: and you're feeling, oh, I missed it. I missed what 426 00:26:30,430 --> 00:26:34,990 S1: my purpose was. Don't listen to that voice. Listen to 427 00:26:35,030 --> 00:26:38,990 S1: the voice of the one who, if Benjamin is right, 428 00:26:39,230 --> 00:26:44,550 S1: who has wired you for something more. And the struggle 429 00:26:44,550 --> 00:26:48,510 S1: that I have with with what he's written is, uh, 430 00:26:48,510 --> 00:26:50,070 S1: I'll tell you that in a minute. Let me tell you, 431 00:26:50,070 --> 00:26:52,830 S1: the title of the book comes out tomorrow, Your Life 432 00:26:52,830 --> 00:26:57,230 S1: Signature by Benjamin Wendell. Three simple questions to find your 433 00:26:57,230 --> 00:27:04,070 S1: Purpose and love your life. Featured resource@chris.org. The thing that 434 00:27:04,070 --> 00:27:10,710 S1: I have run toward, I think Benjamin more often, is 435 00:27:11,950 --> 00:27:17,870 S1: when my life is more about doing than being. I 436 00:27:17,910 --> 00:27:21,510 S1: get off kilter, I, I try to find the burden 437 00:27:21,670 --> 00:27:24,630 S1: I think of, you know, fit this into the rubric 438 00:27:24,630 --> 00:27:27,429 S1: of my, my, the fire that a fire in the 439 00:27:27,430 --> 00:27:30,869 S1: belly and go toward that. And so it's all about 440 00:27:30,869 --> 00:27:33,630 S1: what can I accomplish? What can I do? What can 441 00:27:33,670 --> 00:27:38,150 S1: be the outcome of the, the, the three circles that 442 00:27:38,150 --> 00:27:44,389 S1: are there. And I, I bypass the being. And that 443 00:27:44,390 --> 00:27:47,830 S1: is what the process that you talked about here, that's 444 00:27:47,830 --> 00:27:51,390 S1: what the process is all about is to, to understand 445 00:27:51,550 --> 00:27:55,949 S1: who God is, our relationship with him, how he's wired 446 00:27:55,950 --> 00:27:58,550 S1: us so that we can step into that. Do you 447 00:27:58,550 --> 00:27:59,470 S1: agree with that? 448 00:28:00,550 --> 00:28:02,870 S3: I agree with that, Chris. I mean, I would the 449 00:28:02,869 --> 00:28:06,510 S3: label I would give what you've just described is activity 450 00:28:06,550 --> 00:28:10,310 S3: based purpose. So we base our sense of meaning and 451 00:28:10,310 --> 00:28:13,270 S3: contribution on the things I'm doing. And look, there's an 452 00:28:13,270 --> 00:28:16,870 S3: element of truth to that. But the challenge with that 453 00:28:16,869 --> 00:28:20,830 S3: becomes it's an endless treadmill, right? It leads to striving. 454 00:28:20,869 --> 00:28:25,199 S3: It leads to exhaustion. It leads to numbness. I dentity 455 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:29,040 S3: paste based purpose is when we're living from how God 456 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:34,720 S3: has created us. And I think for years I have 457 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:39,760 S3: fallen into the trap of the harder reach further, strive more. 458 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:41,600 S3: Can I give you a real example, Chris? I was 459 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,080 S3: watching just last week the documentary on Matthew Perry. You know, 460 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,200 S3: the friends actor that must be on Netflix? I'm not sure. 461 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:52,280 S3: He spent $7 million trying to get sober, and I 462 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:56,080 S3: found the documentary really hard hitting and interesting, actually. It 463 00:28:56,080 --> 00:29:01,400 S3: starts with this line. It's his words. He said this. God, 464 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:05,920 S3: you can do anything you want to me. Just please 465 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:07,360 S3: make me famous. 466 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:08,320 S1: Mhm. 467 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:13,240 S3: He said that lasted six months, but it didn't fix 468 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:14,960 S3: what was inside of him. He died at the age 469 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:18,880 S3: of 54. It's an extreme example. But how many of 470 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:21,880 S3: us live that in our own way. God, if my 471 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,360 S3: work is seen by enough, if my. If my work 472 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:29,880 S3: makes enough. It's activity based purpose. It's shallow. It's not stable. 473 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:34,120 S3: We need identity based purpose. 474 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:39,680 S1: Isn't that then in the in the Christian world, and 475 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:43,320 S1: I've seen the same thing about Matthew Perry. And it's 476 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:48,360 S1: such a heartbreaking. Because very talented young man, as we 477 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:52,960 S1: as I think of him, uh, very talented, but and 478 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,320 S1: left a real hole in people's lives. But we do 479 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,840 S1: the same thing in the church. You get into the 480 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:01,680 S1: pastorate and you think, well, I've got to get a 481 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:03,720 S1: bigger church and I've got to have a mega church. 482 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,240 S1: Or if you're writing a book, you've got to sell 483 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,120 S1: a million copies, or you're singing a song, well, you're 484 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:13,120 S1: nothing unless you have all these hits on Spotify or whatever. 485 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:19,000 S1: However you measure this and we bypass where the real 486 00:30:19,130 --> 00:30:22,330 S1: meaning because you were you were a youth pastor for 487 00:30:22,330 --> 00:30:25,770 S1: a long time. That that is not something to, to 488 00:30:25,810 --> 00:30:29,330 S1: throw away. You know, those kids that you were pouring 489 00:30:29,330 --> 00:30:31,530 S1: your life into, they matter. Right? 490 00:30:33,770 --> 00:30:38,050 S3: Wow. It's, you know, it's sobering because I've been in 491 00:30:38,050 --> 00:30:41,530 S3: church work. You know, my whole life. And it's a 492 00:30:41,530 --> 00:30:45,050 S3: big thing. We're not immune from it. We can be 493 00:30:45,050 --> 00:30:49,130 S3: chasing a number, chasing a whatever. I've been there. I've 494 00:30:49,130 --> 00:30:52,770 S3: reached it. It doesn't feel what we thought it would. 495 00:30:53,210 --> 00:30:56,210 S3: And you used a really important word. You used the 496 00:30:56,210 --> 00:31:03,570 S3: word measure. How we measure what the scale is. We 497 00:31:03,570 --> 00:31:06,130 S3: have to be very careful about how we choose that. 498 00:31:06,130 --> 00:31:08,450 S3: We know that Solomon. We read about it in the 499 00:31:08,450 --> 00:31:11,730 S3: book of Ecclesiastes. He literally had everything that you could 500 00:31:11,730 --> 00:31:17,450 S3: imagine every achievement, every luxury, any he throughout the book 501 00:31:17,570 --> 00:31:21,930 S3: talks about his life feeling like a vapor in vanity. 502 00:31:22,370 --> 00:31:27,010 S3: In other words, it lacked depth. It lacked true meaning. 503 00:31:27,730 --> 00:31:32,170 S3: So in our modern world, you're so right. The numbers, 504 00:31:32,170 --> 00:31:38,050 S3: the metrics become a trap for us and identity based 505 00:31:38,050 --> 00:31:40,690 S3: purpose where we're able to look deeper than that. Look 506 00:31:40,730 --> 00:31:44,050 S3: at how God's wired us. We may actually end up 507 00:31:44,050 --> 00:31:47,330 S3: achieving more. We end up achieving less, but we're being 508 00:31:47,370 --> 00:31:50,850 S3: faithful to what God has called us to do. And 509 00:31:50,850 --> 00:31:56,050 S3: that's where there's contentment. There's fulfillment. There's joy. I used 510 00:31:56,050 --> 00:31:58,930 S3: to have a friend in high school. I'd sit next 511 00:31:58,930 --> 00:32:00,650 S3: to him on Monday morning. Chris. You know what he'd say. 512 00:32:01,290 --> 00:32:04,930 S3: Four days away from Friday. He was literally counting down 513 00:32:04,930 --> 00:32:07,330 S3: the weekends. But we do it as adults. It becomes 514 00:32:07,330 --> 00:32:10,370 S3: living for the new car smell. It becomes living for 515 00:32:10,370 --> 00:32:13,650 S3: the sand between our toes on a beach vacation, living 516 00:32:13,650 --> 00:32:17,340 S3: for the next higher brand of watch or handbag or 517 00:32:17,380 --> 00:32:19,220 S3: homewares and. 518 00:32:19,260 --> 00:32:22,100 S1: Phone or phone. Don't. Don't forget the phone. 519 00:32:23,140 --> 00:32:29,580 S3: It's a cheap dopamine substitute to true spiritual purpose. 520 00:32:31,700 --> 00:32:36,100 S1: Okay, you just hit on something that I was thinking 521 00:32:36,140 --> 00:32:38,260 S1: of I've been thinking about for the last week or so. 522 00:32:38,300 --> 00:32:40,100 S1: I've been in John six, and I haven't been able 523 00:32:40,100 --> 00:32:42,420 S1: to get off of that hillside where there are all 524 00:32:42,420 --> 00:32:48,020 S1: these hungry people, thousands of people, 5000 men, plus, you know, families, 525 00:32:48,180 --> 00:32:52,660 S1: younger people who are sitting there. And Jesus says, you know, 526 00:32:52,700 --> 00:32:55,420 S1: how are we going to feed all these people? Philip 527 00:32:55,420 --> 00:33:00,180 S1: has an answer that didn't satisfy. But Andrew says, wait, 528 00:33:00,180 --> 00:33:04,739 S1: here's a boy. But all he has basically, this is 529 00:33:04,740 --> 00:33:07,459 S1: my version. All he's got some a little bit of 530 00:33:07,460 --> 00:33:10,420 S1: bread and a little bit of fish. What is that 531 00:33:10,660 --> 00:33:15,220 S1: with all these hungry people? It's not enough. It's not enough. 532 00:33:16,380 --> 00:33:22,220 S1: And what happened was the little boy Jesus used what 533 00:33:22,220 --> 00:33:25,420 S1: was in the hands or the sack. However, they carried 534 00:33:25,420 --> 00:33:28,620 S1: the food back then. What was in the possession of 535 00:33:28,620 --> 00:33:33,300 S1: this little boy? To have this feast where everybody ate 536 00:33:33,300 --> 00:33:37,660 S1: as much as they wanted? And you said in the book, 537 00:33:37,740 --> 00:33:40,300 S1: this just jumped out at me. Maybe the secret to 538 00:33:40,340 --> 00:33:44,980 S1: a meaningful life is learning to offer what's in your hands, 539 00:33:45,180 --> 00:33:50,900 S1: quietly and faithfully for the right audience. Talk about that. 540 00:33:52,700 --> 00:33:57,060 S3: I think when our audience becomes God, so to speak, 541 00:33:57,780 --> 00:34:01,300 S3: like when we're living our lives for what matters to God, 542 00:34:01,540 --> 00:34:07,220 S3: it takes the pressure off, striving, trying to live out 543 00:34:07,220 --> 00:34:10,340 S3: somebody else's version of what purpose is and what waking 544 00:34:10,340 --> 00:34:13,710 S3: up at 94, you know, and being like, hang on 545 00:34:13,710 --> 00:34:18,550 S3: a second. I never actually lived for what truly mattered. 546 00:34:18,989 --> 00:34:21,790 S3: And as a result, I put my business first. I 547 00:34:21,790 --> 00:34:25,589 S3: put my work first. I didn't really honor my family. 548 00:34:25,590 --> 00:34:27,870 S3: I didn't really do the things that God had called 549 00:34:27,870 --> 00:34:31,109 S3: me to do. When we start with faithfulness to what 550 00:34:31,150 --> 00:34:32,590 S3: God has put in our hand, you think of the 551 00:34:32,590 --> 00:34:35,510 S3: parable of the talents, or you think about your example 552 00:34:35,510 --> 00:34:38,230 S3: from John six. I mean the parable of the talents. 553 00:34:38,230 --> 00:34:42,550 S3: The only, the only person that gets the rebuke is 554 00:34:42,550 --> 00:34:48,669 S3: the one that buries it and does nothing. The measure 555 00:34:48,670 --> 00:34:52,350 S3: of the return is not how many they had. It 556 00:34:52,350 --> 00:34:56,790 S3: was simply that they faithfully invested. And we leave the 557 00:34:56,790 --> 00:35:00,629 S3: return on that investment up to God. And so for 558 00:35:00,630 --> 00:35:03,670 S3: people listening, I would say we need to take the 559 00:35:03,670 --> 00:35:07,950 S3: pressure off ourselves, feeling like we've got to perform to 560 00:35:07,989 --> 00:35:14,959 S3: a certain level Fame visibility With true purpose. There should 561 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:21,880 S3: be a sense of this just works. My life is flowing. 562 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:26,600 S3: I'm actually feeling more effective than ever before. But it's 563 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,839 S3: not striving. That's a clue that you're really living from 564 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:30,920 S3: your last signature. 565 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,560 S1: And you say the biggest number in changing the world 566 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,960 S1: is one. If it's for one, it's worth it. And, 567 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,279 S1: and the one begins with you. You're allowing God to 568 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:46,760 S1: change you so that you know it'll help somebody else. Uh, 569 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:51,839 S1: faithfulness will take you further than fame ever could. But 570 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:55,879 S1: there is someone might say, so you're telling us not 571 00:35:55,880 --> 00:36:01,200 S1: to dream anymore? Don't dream big. Just just play small. Just. 572 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:04,760 S1: Just be. Live a comfortable life. That's not what you're saying, 573 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:05,239 S1: is it? 574 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:09,040 S3: I think, you know, we have to embrace nuance, Chris, 575 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:12,480 S3: with this subject. You may have noticed, I do a 576 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:15,720 S3: chapter on what I call small purpose, but the balance 577 00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:18,520 S3: to this is, you know, I think of my own journey. 578 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:22,400 S3: I was raised in like the 90s youth ministry era, 579 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,160 S3: and the preaching at that time was all about, you know, 580 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:29,839 S3: change the world, shake the planet, give everything to the 581 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:32,960 S3: call of God on your life. And there's something about 582 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:36,240 S3: that that got into my bones in a good way. 583 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:40,720 S3: And that is, we should have faith that God wants 584 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:46,400 S3: to use our life in significant and meaningful ways, but 585 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,680 S3: at the same time not fall into the grandiosity trap. 586 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:53,000 S3: And here's here's let me let me put it to 587 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:58,280 S3: you this way, Chris. True God purpose is elastic enough 588 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:03,880 S3: to swell. It can stretch to fit your God sized 589 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:10,489 S3: dreams and shrink to be as powerful in the smallest 590 00:37:10,489 --> 00:37:15,170 S3: of settings no one else sees. Don't diminish your potential 591 00:37:15,170 --> 00:37:17,610 S3: and your capacity and your gift and think that's purpose. 592 00:37:17,610 --> 00:37:20,489 S3: That's not what I'm saying. We need big dreamers. We 593 00:37:20,489 --> 00:37:23,410 S3: need people that are willing to say, hey, this isn't 594 00:37:23,410 --> 00:37:27,010 S3: about fame. This isn't about scale, this isn't about spotlight, 595 00:37:27,370 --> 00:37:31,210 S3: but there's a villain that I feel compelled to slay. 596 00:37:31,450 --> 00:37:33,890 S3: You know, there's a giant that I need to overcome. 597 00:37:33,890 --> 00:37:37,370 S3: There's walls that need to come down. We need people 598 00:37:37,370 --> 00:37:43,370 S3: like that. Artists, tech entrepreneurs, songwriters, school teachers, volunteers, people 599 00:37:43,370 --> 00:37:47,049 S3: that see the world and feel called to make a difference. 600 00:37:47,370 --> 00:37:51,730 S3: As long as that's not coming from a place right 601 00:37:51,730 --> 00:37:53,890 S3: where we're trying to prove ourselves in a wrong in 602 00:37:53,930 --> 00:37:54,650 S3: a wrong sense. 603 00:37:54,930 --> 00:37:59,210 S1: Yes. And there's so many great examples of this throughout 604 00:37:59,210 --> 00:38:04,370 S1: Scripture as well as in society. You you tell the 605 00:38:04,370 --> 00:38:08,690 S1: story of Johann Sebastian Bach and what happened in his life, 606 00:38:08,690 --> 00:38:13,169 S1: relative obscurity while he was alive. And now Bach is 607 00:38:13,170 --> 00:38:18,090 S1: back and and and bigger than ever. You say real 608 00:38:18,090 --> 00:38:24,130 S1: success isn't measured by platform income or applause. It's measured 609 00:38:24,130 --> 00:38:28,529 S1: by obedience. It's not what you build. It's who you 610 00:38:28,530 --> 00:38:33,169 S1: become while building it. That's from your life. Signature by 611 00:38:33,170 --> 00:38:37,850 S1: Benjamin Wendell, our featured resource. The book comes out tomorrow. 612 00:38:38,170 --> 00:38:41,850 S1: We have it linked at Chris Fabry live.com. Three simple 613 00:38:41,850 --> 00:38:45,009 S1: questions to find your purpose and love your life. Just 614 00:38:45,010 --> 00:38:49,450 S1: go to Chris Fabry live.org. More coming up straight ahead 615 00:38:49,450 --> 00:39:02,090 S1: on Moody Radio. This is Chris Fabry live on Moody Radio. 616 00:39:02,090 --> 00:39:04,290 S1: Thanks a lot for joining us today. I'm hoping that 617 00:39:04,290 --> 00:39:08,100 S1: the light bulb is going off in somebody's mind, in 618 00:39:08,100 --> 00:39:12,100 S1: somebody's heart and your soul. As you listen to Benjamin 619 00:39:12,100 --> 00:39:15,859 S1: Wendell in this book, there, it's worth the price of 620 00:39:15,860 --> 00:39:19,980 S1: admission just to read the quotes like this from Emerson, 621 00:39:19,980 --> 00:39:22,500 S1: to be yourself in a world that is constantly trying 622 00:39:22,500 --> 00:39:27,540 S1: to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment that's 623 00:39:27,540 --> 00:39:31,219 S1: in the book Your Life. Signature three simple questions to 624 00:39:31,260 --> 00:39:36,259 S1: find your purpose and love your life. Just go to chris.org. 625 00:39:37,940 --> 00:39:42,700 S1: So if there's somebody listening who has felt, you know, 626 00:39:42,739 --> 00:39:46,460 S1: this is stirring something inside of them and they feel 627 00:39:46,460 --> 00:39:51,260 S1: like for age or whatever, that they have missed it, 628 00:39:51,460 --> 00:39:54,339 S1: that they're on and it's too late. There's nothing that 629 00:39:54,340 --> 00:39:56,939 S1: they can do to step into what you're talking about. 630 00:39:56,940 --> 00:39:58,420 S1: What would you say to that person? 631 00:39:59,300 --> 00:40:02,060 S3: There was a recent survey I just read about it 632 00:40:02,060 --> 00:40:07,580 S3: this week. 67% of people feel that they are behind. 633 00:40:07,780 --> 00:40:10,260 S3: I hear that all the time. I feel like I'm behind. 634 00:40:10,300 --> 00:40:13,140 S3: I feel like I'm late. I should be further ahead 635 00:40:13,140 --> 00:40:17,180 S3: in life. And when you study, you know, people in Scripture, 636 00:40:17,219 --> 00:40:20,460 S3: characters in Scripture, even people from popular culture today, you 637 00:40:20,460 --> 00:40:25,379 S3: just recognize that time, time, and purpose have a lot 638 00:40:25,380 --> 00:40:29,219 S3: to do with each other. I've found this, Chris and 639 00:40:29,219 --> 00:40:33,020 S3: I write about this in a chapter called You're Not Late. 640 00:40:33,460 --> 00:40:40,299 S3: I found that purpose unfolds in three movements seasons, delays, 641 00:40:40,620 --> 00:40:45,460 S3: and accelerations. So purpose unfolds in distinct seasons of life. 642 00:40:45,940 --> 00:40:52,180 S3: Purpose unfolds through delays like, yes, God actually uses the 643 00:40:52,180 --> 00:40:56,820 S3: delays of life to create purpose in our life and accelerations. 644 00:40:56,820 --> 00:40:59,379 S3: Meaning you won't always be in times of delay. There 645 00:40:59,420 --> 00:41:02,379 S3: are also times where doors open and things move quickly. 646 00:41:02,860 --> 00:41:04,830 S3: But I would love to speak to every human heart 647 00:41:04,830 --> 00:41:08,230 S3: that's listening now and tell people, no matter how you feel, 648 00:41:08,590 --> 00:41:12,350 S3: you're not late and you're not behind. 649 00:41:14,150 --> 00:41:16,790 S1: That's going to give somebody encouragement. So what do you 650 00:41:16,790 --> 00:41:22,150 S1: do then? Because they've heard these three circles your passion, 651 00:41:22,190 --> 00:41:27,470 S1: your burden. And what was the third circle? The gift. 652 00:41:28,070 --> 00:41:29,710 S3: The gift. Yeah. 653 00:41:29,750 --> 00:41:32,390 S1: The gift. Okay. So you got the gift, the passion 654 00:41:32,390 --> 00:41:35,709 S1: and the burden and those come together. And where that is, 655 00:41:35,750 --> 00:41:38,870 S1: is the sweet spot. How do I figure those out? 656 00:41:38,870 --> 00:41:42,509 S1: What are the questions I need to start journaling about, 657 00:41:42,510 --> 00:41:45,790 S1: for example, to be able to find that out. 658 00:41:46,550 --> 00:41:48,750 S3: Here are some questions people can ask Chris. And if 659 00:41:48,750 --> 00:41:51,469 S3: people still struggle with it. Again, we have an assessment 660 00:41:51,469 --> 00:41:54,270 S3: that people can take with this. But take, for example, 661 00:41:54,270 --> 00:41:55,030 S3: your burden. 662 00:41:59,590 --> 00:42:02,990 S1: All right. And we just lost Benjamin. Take your bird 663 00:42:04,510 --> 00:42:10,390 S1: and and with that burden, with that deep inner sense of. 664 00:42:10,430 --> 00:42:13,630 S1: It's more than just anger. Uh, you know, about what's 665 00:42:13,630 --> 00:42:18,390 S1: going on politically or I mean, it could be about abortion. 666 00:42:18,430 --> 00:42:22,110 S1: You know, about that issue. It could be about something 667 00:42:22,110 --> 00:42:26,030 S1: that is going on in, uh, I think this month 668 00:42:26,030 --> 00:42:29,310 S1: is National Adoption month. It could be something with that 669 00:42:29,310 --> 00:42:32,549 S1: or foster care or there's something that's there. I've talked 670 00:42:32,550 --> 00:42:37,270 S1: with so many people who have poured their lives into 671 00:42:37,270 --> 00:42:43,190 S1: those children who are at risk, whether preborn or already born. 672 00:42:43,590 --> 00:42:46,950 S1: And there are many people on the outside of of 673 00:42:46,989 --> 00:42:49,069 S1: those issues who will point the finger and say, well, 674 00:42:49,070 --> 00:42:50,390 S1: what are you doing about this? And what are you 675 00:42:50,390 --> 00:42:56,510 S1: doing about that? Don't let those voices keep you from 676 00:42:57,270 --> 00:43:00,549 S1: from doing something. As a matter of fact, uh, what 677 00:43:00,590 --> 00:43:05,000 S1: Benjamin writes is adventure begins the moment you leave what 678 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:11,040 S1: is manageable, the moment you refuse the predictable life, the 679 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,399 S1: moment you say yes to the call that doesn't fit 680 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:18,040 S1: neatly inside your plans, your first step will feel small. 681 00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:23,120 S1: Might even feel foolish. You won't feel ready. Do it anyway. 682 00:43:23,719 --> 00:43:27,239 S1: You don't need clarity about the whole path. This is 683 00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:29,720 S1: where I get. This is where I get hung up. 684 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:32,360 S1: It's like, well, I need to know this is the 685 00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:34,319 S1: next step I'm going to take. I need to know 686 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:37,040 S1: the next step and the next step. He writes, you 687 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:40,240 S1: need the courage to take the next step. Clarity comes 688 00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:46,359 S1: in motion, not in endless contemplation. And Benjamin, that's what 689 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:49,240 S1: you were saying before we we lost you. Is that 690 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:54,520 S1: this this idea of motion and movement that God uses 691 00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:56,000 S1: that in your life, right? 692 00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:00,399 S3: He does. And to speak to these questions, Chris, uh, 693 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:03,600 S3: for your gift. Ask questions like what has always come 694 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:06,160 S3: natural to you? Like, what's a strength? Even when you 695 00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:09,680 S3: look back to your childhood that you were above average in. 696 00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:13,720 S3: Look for hints of where are those natural abilities? That's 697 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:16,400 S3: a clue to how God has wired you with your gift, 698 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:21,399 S3: with passion. Think about this what. Even if it's hard 699 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:25,800 S3: work after you've done it, you feel energized. It actually 700 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:29,520 S3: brings vitality into your life. In fact, you love doing 701 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:31,719 S3: it so much. You say things like this even if 702 00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:34,200 S3: nobody paid me to do this, you couldn't stop me 703 00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:38,160 S3: doing it. That's a passion and burden. That's why you 704 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:43,520 S3: ask questions like what? News stories hit me harder than others. 705 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:48,120 S3: What part of my own story makes me sensitive to 706 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:52,680 S3: a particular kind of suffering? When have I felt most 707 00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:56,839 S3: alive while helping others? And here's one last one that 708 00:44:56,840 --> 00:44:59,450 S3: people can ask Chris about their burden. and what gets 709 00:44:59,450 --> 00:45:03,530 S3: you angry? Like what actually causes that reaction within you? 710 00:45:03,850 --> 00:45:06,410 S3: That's a clue that God's put a bird in a 711 00:45:06,410 --> 00:45:09,570 S3: spiritual burden on your heart to go and serve people 712 00:45:09,570 --> 00:45:11,490 S3: who are going through those kinds of things. 713 00:45:12,690 --> 00:45:15,810 S1: And I think it's really important. You point out that 714 00:45:15,810 --> 00:45:19,410 S1: you you don't do this in a vacuum. You write, 715 00:45:19,410 --> 00:45:22,610 S1: God is hidden pieces of your purpose inside other people. 716 00:45:22,610 --> 00:45:25,969 S1: The way an old pirate hides treasure, not to frustrate you, 717 00:45:25,969 --> 00:45:29,530 S1: but to force you to sail, to risk, to relate 718 00:45:29,890 --> 00:45:32,810 S1: your life. Signature is the mark only you can leave. 719 00:45:32,850 --> 00:45:39,090 S1: But the ink is shared. So these conversations, these collaborations, 720 00:45:39,090 --> 00:45:43,690 S1: these friendships that you have, the prayers that you pray together, 721 00:45:43,690 --> 00:45:47,930 S1: those lead you on a path to the process of 722 00:45:47,930 --> 00:45:53,210 S1: finding that life signature. Benjamin, I can't thank you enough 723 00:45:53,210 --> 00:45:57,250 S1: for writing this, for living it. Because the other thing 724 00:45:57,330 --> 00:46:00,890 S1: that we didn't get in touch about touch on is change. 725 00:46:00,930 --> 00:46:04,610 S1: Change your world by changing your home. You got to 726 00:46:04,650 --> 00:46:06,370 S1: come home. You got to. You got to put this 727 00:46:06,410 --> 00:46:08,730 S1: into practice with the people that you love and the 728 00:46:08,730 --> 00:46:13,210 S1: relationships that you have. So we've only scratched the surface here. 729 00:46:13,489 --> 00:46:16,450 S1: Thank you for doing this and for having this conversation today. 730 00:46:17,010 --> 00:46:18,890 S3: Thank you, Chris, so much for having me. It's been 731 00:46:18,890 --> 00:46:19,290 S3: a joy. 732 00:46:20,210 --> 00:46:24,049 S1: The book is Your Life. Signature three simple questions to 733 00:46:24,090 --> 00:46:30,370 S1: Find Your Purpose and Love Your Life by Benjamin Wendell WINDLE. 734 00:46:30,890 --> 00:46:35,450 S1: Featured resource at the website Chris Fabry live.org. There's a 735 00:46:35,450 --> 00:46:39,330 S1: good conversation for your Monday. Talk amongst yourselves about this 736 00:46:39,610 --> 00:46:43,049 S1: and come back tomorrow. If you are a parent and 737 00:46:43,050 --> 00:46:45,850 S1: your son or daughter has kind of gone off the rails, 738 00:46:45,850 --> 00:46:48,009 S1: you got to listen tomorrow to Chris Fabry Live, a 739 00:46:48,010 --> 00:46:52,010 S1: production of Moody Radio, a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.