Welcome to The Deep Dive, the show that extracts
the most vital insights from the information
you need to conquer your world. Today, we're
plunging into a topic that resonates deeply with
nearly everyone, regardless of their profession
or life stage. From a demanding medical practice
to corporate leadership, the universal aspiration
for greatness, this ambition... Well, it seems
ingrained in us. But in our demanding professional
lives, what does true greatness actually look
like? And importantly, how can we actively pursue
it? Our mission in this deep dive is to explore
a clear, yet perhaps surprisingly counterintuitive
pathway to achieving profound impact and purpose.
Not just in your career, mind you, but across
every area of your life. We'll be looking at
a framework for living, one rooted in profound
Christian wisdom and principles. It draws from
patterns observed in biblical figures and spiritual
leaders who achieved quite extraordinary impact.
It's about transforming those aspirations from
abstract ideals into, well, tangible realities,
no matter the challenges you face daily. To navigate
this fascinating landscape, we're joined by someone
uniquely equipped to synthesize complex ideas
and connect them to their broader implications.
Professor Mo Imam, welcome. Thank you. It's a
real pleasure to be here and delve into such
a pivotal topic. OK, let's unpack this then.
It really does seem that a desire for greatness
is almost universal. Corporate leaders, medical
professionals, doctors, surgeons, researchers,
nurses, everyone aims for excellence, for impact.
It's just there. But when it comes to personal
growth, especially know, in our inner lives,
this ambition can sometimes feel, well, complicated.
We might even worry it's arrogant, perhaps, or
self -centered. Why do you think that is? That's
an excellent observation, actually, and it cuts
right to the heart of the matter. You're absolutely
right that mediocrity is almost no one's ambition.
A scholar wants to be a great thinker, an artist,
a great creator, a surgeon, a great healer. Definitely.
But as you say, when we ask individuals, especially
those of faith, if they want to be great Christians
or profoundly impactful in their personal lives,
there's often this hesitation, almost a fear
of sounding prideful. Yet if we look back at
the earliest accounts of spiritual journeys,
even figures like Jesus' own disciples, they
wrestled with this desire to be great. And what's
fascinating is that Jesus didn't scold them for
this ambition. Not at all. Instead, he redefined
greatness for them. He laid out a completely
new paradigm, a different set of metrics entirely.
A different way of measuring it, precisely. So
in this context, true greatness isn't measured
by fame, money, position, or intellect, which
are often the world's conventional markers of
success in, say, a demanding medical career.
It's measured by a different standard altogether.
And when pursued, these counterintuitive metrics
are said to have literally turned the world upside
down in less than a century. So this desire,
it isn't a spiritual problem, it's actually a
God -given desire. So it's about aligning our
deep -seated professional drive for excellence,
the kind you see in medicine all the time, with
a more expansive, purposeful vision for our lives,
one that goes beyond traditional markers like
career advancement or accolades. It's about integrating
that ambition with a deeper sense of meaning
and contribution. That's a really powerful reframing,
particularly for professionals who often feel
immense pressure to conform to those conventional
success metrics. Exactly. It's about channeling
that inherent desire for impact into something
that transcends the purely material reputational,
transforming it into a desire for, well, kingdom
impact. You mentioned that transformation begins
fundamentally with what we allow into our minds.
I find that concept fascinating and almost challenging
perhaps. How profoundly do our daily thoughts
actually shape our reality and our capacity for
impact, especially when we're constantly bombarded
with information, good and bad. The influence
of our thought life is frankly profound. It's
really not an overstatement to say that what
we entertain in our minds ultimately guides our
lives. For better or worse, there's a compelling
study by Haskins that looked at the impact of
just five minutes of daily negative news. Just
five minutes. Only five minutes. Yes. Participants
listened to programs filled with stories of disasters,
violence, despair. After evaluating them, Haskins
discovered four quite discernible effects. They
became more depressed. They developed a more
negative worldview. They were less likely to
help others. And perhaps most strikingly, they
even started to believe that the negative things
they heard would soon happen to them. Their perception
of reality was directly shaped by those five
minutes of negative thoughts Wow That's quite
something it really highlights a core principle
a mind filled with flawed pessimistic or cynical
thinking Simply cannot live an influential fruitful
life Transformation the kind we're talking about
for true greatness begins fundamentally with
what we allow into our minds It's the root of
our thinking that determines the fruit of our
lives if you feed your mind mental junk food
as it were your spiritual and emotional health
will reflect it. But if you feed it eternal truths,
your health will become stronger and more consistent
over time. That makes perfect sense. It's like
a mental equivalent of you are what you eat,
isn't it? Which raises an important question,
then. If our thoughts are so powerful, what should
we be thinking? The wisdom tradition we're exploring
points to specific qualities for great thoughts.
Can you elaborate on these? And how can we apply
them to our often chaotic mental landscapes,
especially in high -pressure medical environments
where critical thinking can sometimes, perhaps
easily, lean towards cynicism? Certainly. The
Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians,
chapter 4 verse 8, gives us a very clear directive.
He says to dwell on Whatever is true, whatever
is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good
repute, if there is any excellence and if anything
worthy of praise. Now this isn't casual thinking.
The Greek word for dwell here is logizomai. It
means to deduce, to reason, to calculate, to
ponder, to deliberate, to subject to protracted
analysis or thought. It implies active meditation,
you see. Thinking about something long enough
to grasp its implications for your life. Active
meditation not just letting thoughts drift by
exactly. Yeah now for professionals in high -pressure
fields like medicine two attributes often prove
most challenging yet perhaps most impactful first
Honorable this means things that are grave worthy
of respect It refers to things that reflect the
serious purposes of your life and honor a higher
purpose In medicine, where the stakes are incredibly
high, it's about ensuring your thoughts align
with the profound calling of healing and caring
for life, not just the technical or administrative
demands. Asking yourself, does this thought align
with the gravitas and divine purpose of my work?
Okay. Second, of good repute, commendable. This
is something that speaks well of others or is
praiseworthy. In an environment often focused
on problem solving or identifying flaws, which
is necessary, of course, it's easy for thoughts
to drift towards cynicism about colleagues, systems,
perhaps even patients sometimes. Cultivating
thoughts of good repute means intentionally looking
for the praiseworthy, building up rather than
tearing down in your mind. That's a conscious
effort, then. It really is. Paul is essentially
saying, get your thoughts right and the emotions,
behaviors and consequences like peace will follow.
A spiritually trained mind aligns everything
else. It revolves emotional issues and guides
behavior. This dynamic is consistently reinforced
throughout scripture. For example, Romans 12
.2 urges us to be transformed by the renewing
of our mind. If we're habitually feeding our
minds on that mental junk food, our spiritual
health will suffer. But if we consistently feed
it eternal truths, our health can become stronger
and more consistent than we might have thought
possible. It's like creating a mental filter,
isn't it? Ensuring what comes in aligns with
our highest values and purpose. So where do we
find these great thoughts in a world that's constantly
bombarding us with everything else? What are
the practical sources for this vital mental diet?
Excellent question. The first and most foundational
source is undoubtedly scripture. And here I'm
not just talking about a sort of checklist -driven
Bible reading plan. Right, not just ticking a
box. No. As the renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon
urged, we should lie as soak in my text, let
the truth soak into me. This means saturating
your mind with truth, pondering it, allowing
it to marinate. This deep absorption of God's
word saturates the mind with truth. And as John
8 .32 promises, you will know the truth and the
truth will set you free. Free from anxiety, fear,
the expectations of others, those habits that
enslave us. Another powerful source is creation.
Just reflecting on the grandeur of the natural
world provides immense perspective and humility.
I remember living in Santa Cruz, seeing the ocean
from my house, being able to quickly access the
mountains with these enormous trees. Sometimes
if my sermon preparation felt ready in terms
of notes, but my heart wasn't quite there, you
know, I'd take a coffee, sit overlooking the
bay, and just stare at the crashing waves. Get
some perspective. Exactly. I'd think about how
tiny I was in the grand scheme of the universe.
Yet here I was, uptight about what people might
think of my sermon. The heavens truly declare
the glory of God. Such contemplation is energizing.
It can pull you out of an emotional pit and provide
a high view of God that elevates his words and
builds faith. That's a wonderful image. And finally,
spiritual insights. Those personal light bulb
moments God gives you from life experience. For
instance, years ago I had this profound realization
that I am not the only person in the world who
is desperately insecure. Actually, everyone is.
to some degree. Really, everyone? Fundamentally,
yes. This insight lifted immense pressure. It
freed me from worrying about impressing others
or positioning myself in meetings. It allowed
me to be authentic and find my security in Christ.
Another insight that continuously liberates me
is that God loves me right now as much as he
ever has and ever will. My performance doesn't
change that fundamental truth. These profound
truths when deeply pondered and internalized
become life -changing. They relieve the knots
in your stomach, allow you to make difficult
but right decisions, and lead to true security.
Those are incredibly practical sources. It's
not about just passively consuming information,
as you say, but actively meditating on it. So
how can busy professionals, perhaps those working
long shifts or on call in the medical field,
practically cultivate these great thoughts daily
amidst demanding schedules? It sounds challenging.
Absolutely. It requires intentionality. It won't
just happen. Here are a few practical tips. Firstly,
memorize and meditate on scripture. This isn't
an obligation, it's an opportunity. Write down
verses that resonate with you on index cards.
Keep them in your pocket or on your phone. Read
them during downtime, waiting in line, between
patients, between meetings, or even just before
bed and first thing in the morning. Make them
the first and last thing that goes into your
mind. Using those small pockets of time. Precisely.
Secondly, use your commute time wisely. Do you
really need to listen to talk radio or just general
music all the time? Consider audio versions of
the Bible, or uplifting teaching, or simply embrace
silence for reflection and pondering deep truths.
That seemingly unproductive time can become a
powerful period of mental renewal. Turn the car
into a sort of sanctuary. Kind of, yes. Thirdly,
listen to uplifting music. There's an undeniable
connection between music and our emotions. Refreshing
and uplifting music can set a positive course
for your mind, steering it away from negativity
and toward peace. And finally, create visual
reminders. Put a key passage on your computer
screensaver or on your phone lock screen. Set
up reminders. These subtle nudges can help keep
truth at the forefront of your mind throughout
the day. Simple things, but consistent. Yes.
Thinking great thoughts is the critical first
step in a radically changed life. When truth
resonates with your heart, your emotions begin
to change, and you find yourself motivated to
act in surprising ways, aligning your emotions
and behavior for profound impact. You've made
a compelling case that thinking great thoughts
is foundational. What's fascinating now is the
role that reading great books plays in expanding
our mental landscape and fostering spiritual
growth. Why is external input like this so crucial,
especially for those in demanding knowledge -intensive
fields like medicine or staying updated clinically
as paramount, but this is about a different kind
of update, isn't it? It is, yes. Written words
possess an inherent power to shape our perspectives,
much like our own thoughts do. It's interesting,
God in the Old Testament even commanded the kings
of Israel to personally write out and scrutinize
every word of the law. Not just read it, but
write it out themselves. Really? Write it out?
Yes, because He wanted them to be ruled by men
who deeply understood His written word. This
demonstrates the profound impact of absorbing
truth. from written sources. It's how we learn
from those who have experienced God's truth in
the past, how we stand on the shoulders of giants
as it were. My own life has been profoundly impacted
by specific books. One seminal work was The Knowledge
of the Holy by A .W. Tozer. A missionary handed
it to me years ago in Hong Kong and his opening
line just stunned me. What comes into our minds
when we think about God is the most important
thing about us. That's quite a statement. It
is. This book radically changed my perception
of God. I think I grew up viewing him as a sort
of cosmic policeman, always ready with a club
looking for mistakes. Tozer revealed a God who
takes holy pleasure in the happiness of his people,
who has a good plan, and who sees me as the object
of his affection. It was so foreign to my previous
understanding that I had to reread sections multiple
times for it to actually sink in. I've kept that
book and its updated edition for over 26 years
now, revisiting it often. It continues to shape
me. That's a powerful personal testimony to the
transformative power of a single book. Beyond
your own spiritual journey, then, what types
of books or genres would you recommend for listeners
looking to cultivate similar shifts? Shifts in
their worldview or perhaps practical skills relevant
to their professional and personal lives? Excellent
question. Beyond purely theological works, I
found biographies of impactful figures incredibly
shaping. Reading Dawes, the story of Dawes and
Trotman, founder of the Navigators, for instance,
it showed me that an ordinary chap with just
a high school education but deeply rooted in
scripture memory could impact millions worldwide.
So it's not about academic brilliance, necessarily.
Not at all. Yeah. It removed the pressure to
be some kind of brilliant scholar or wealthy
individual. It demonstrated that passion for
Christ and belief in God's word were the real
prerequisites for world changing impact. These
books really illustrate God's ability to use
improbable people to do impossible things. which
is very encouraging. Later, when I was leading
a college ministry, I faced intellectual challenges
from professors and graduate students who questioned
my faith. I remember feeling quite small, even
inadequate, wondering if I had to throw my brains
in the trash to follow Christ. A common struggle,
I think. Very common. Then I discovered the works
of Francis Schaeffer, specifically books like
Escape from Reason and The God Who is There.
Schaeffer provided such a robust framework for
intellectual Christians to reconcile faith with
reason. He showed that faith wasn't irrational
or anti -intellectual. He also helped me understand
grace more deeply, moving beyond a performance
-based faith to a genuine relationship with God.
So in summary, reading great books has profoundly
shaped my perception of God, my confidence in
faith, my marriage, my ministry, my relationships.
They've provided significant life lessons and
breakthroughs. It's a practice that truly pays
eternal dividends. If our thoughts are shaped
by what we consume and what we read, then it
stands to reason, doesn't it, that the people
we surround ourselves with also profoundly influence
us. How does pursuing great people work as a
catalyst for growth, and what does that actually
entail for us today in our busy lives? The principle
is beautifully illustrated by the relationship
between Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament.
Essentially, who we choose to follow will determine
to a large degree who we become. It's almost
inevitable. If we want to become truly great,
in the sense we're discussing, we need to pursue
and learn from great people. We naturally take
on the attributes, the perspectives, even the
mannerisms of those we spend the most time with.
Now, before we discuss the people we choose to
influence us, it's important to acknowledge those
we didn't choose. Our parents or parental figures
are, undeniably, the most influential people
in our lives, for better or worse. That's certainly
true. We inherit both nature and nurture from
them. And many of us carry baggage from our family
backgrounds. I've learned some important principles
over the years for constructively dealing with
this. First, no one had perfect parents. Only
Jesus was perfect. We all grew up under the influence
of imperfect people who made mistakes. Remembering
this helps us let go of unrealistic expectations
and perhaps lingering grudges. Oh, allows for
grace. It does. Second, thank God for what you
did get rather than dwelling on what you didn't.
It's so easy to lament what went wrong or what
was missing. But focusing on the blessings received,
however small they might seem, is vital for moving
forward in a healthy way. And third, deal constructively
with the damage. Everyone has baggage, difficult
experiences. The goal isn't to pretend they don't
exist, but to proactively work through them and
grow, rather than getting stuck or letting them
define us. That's a very compassionate and practical
approach to family history. So once we've processed
those untozen influences, how do we then go about
identifying and seeking out the chosen influences,
the great people who can actively shape our future
growth? That's where the concept of our spiritual
Mount Rushmore, as I sometimes call it, comes
in. The first step is to look in the rear view
mirror. Take some time to identify four or five
people who have most positively and indelibly
impacted your life so far. Then reflect on how
they shaped your character. What qualities did
they model? What did you learn from them? Identify
the patterns of need they met in your life. This
gives you a really valuable glimpse into the
kind of people you'll likely need in your life
going forward. I can give you a couple of personal
examples from my own life. Coach Lance, he was
my first non -family role model back in junior
high. He was quite hard, demanding, but also
deeply caring. He looked past my rather arrogant
surface behavior to see potential underneath.
He taught me teachability, a huge lesson. He
invested individual time in me daily, playing
basketball, and continued to offer blunt challenges
and wisdom for years after. He really taught
me to be strong and authentic. That sounds like
a key relationship. It was foundational. Another
was Howard Hendricks, a renowned professor at
Dallas Seminary. I pursued him persistently for
mentorship. Initially, I was rejected because
his schedule was just packed. So you had to be
persistent. Very persistent. The mentorship eventually
evolved from just being in his large classes
to informal gatherings at his home. And then
later, I assisted him with travel. He taught
me that powerful communication stems from a genuine
passion for God. We actually prayed together
every night on those trips. He also provided
profound personal counsel during some of my own
struggles, emphasizing our shared human insecurity.
He once told me everyone, including himself,
battles insecurity. That was incredibly freeing.
Those are vivid examples, showcasing the diverse
ways different individuals can shape us. So having
looked in the rear view mirror, how do we then,
as you put it, look out the windshield? How do
we identify and pursue future mentors and influences?
What's the strategic approach for someone in
perhaps a complex professional network, like
a busy medical practice or hospital? The apostle
Paul's model of relationships with Barnabas and
Timothy is incredibly insightful here, I think.
We can break it down. First, you need a Paul
mentor. to you, someone who is further along
in their journey, a spiritual elder who can guide
you. In a medical context, this could be a senior
consultant who exemplifies not just clinical
excellence, but deep character and spiritual
maturity, someone you look up to in multiple
dimensions. Someone who's walked the path. Exactly.
Second, you need a Barnabas. peer mentor. This
is a peer who encourages, challenges, and walks
alongside you. Perhaps a colleague at the same
stage of your career, with whom you can openly
share struggles and victories. Someone who gets
it because they're in it too. A trusted colleague.
Yes. And third, you need a Timothy Minty. We
also need someone we are actively investing in,
helping them grow. This might be a junior doctor,
a medical student, or even someone outside your
immediate professional sphere. The act of mentoring
others solidifies our own learning and keeps
us growing. Now, it's really important not to
expect one perfect person to meet all these needs.
God uses a variety of people, none of them perfect,
at different seasons of your life. And if you
find yourself being appalled to others, remember
not to constantly give without receiving. You
need very encouraging people, VEPs as I call
them in your life, who pour back into you and
offer relationships without an agenda. That's
a great point, replenishing the well. Absolutely.
God puts different people in our lives to play
different roles, father figures, cheerleaders,
confidants, prophets, sponsors, experts, counselors.
Understanding these roles helps us receive from
them appropriately and avoid offense or unrealistic
expectations. Ultimately, who we align with relationally
profoundly shapes our trajectory toward greatness.
It's quite simple. If you want to be an average
Christian surround yourself with average Christians,
but if you want to go from good to great in God's
eyes intentionally surround yourself with great
people, okay, so if our thoughts are the foundation
and our relationships are a key influence, then
dreaming great dreams seems like the natural
next step, doesn't it? What exactly does it mean
to have a God -sized dream? And how does that
differ from just personal ambition or, you know,
typical career goals within, say, a demanding
medical practice, aiming for professorship or
leading a department, for example? That's a crucial
distinction, yes. Sanctified, God -honoring dreaming,
as I think of it, isn't primarily about self
-fulfillment or personal fame or even just professional
advancement though those things might happen.
It's about being so captivated by a vision to
serve God and accomplish something significant
for his kingdom that the dream would be utterly
impossible without him stepping in. Impossible
without God. Yes. It's a dream so great that
human effort and energy alone simply couldn't
bring it to fruition. Think about the impossible
dream given to Jesus's 12 disciples. Ordinary,
mostly uneducated men, their task. Go reach the
entire planet. Seems utterly audacious. Completely.
This audacious mission, without printing presses,
TVs, or the internet, literally turned the world
upside down in less than a century. It demonstrates
God's absolute delight in doing impossible things
through improbable people, and importantly, imparting
exceeding grace to undeserving recipients. This
means your dreams aren't too unlikely for God,
and you're not too improbable for him to use.
He especially delights in accomplishing his purposes
through people who, by faith, don't consider
their dreams impossible at all. because they
know he is involved. That's incredibly liberating,
actually. It pushes us way beyond our self -imposed
limitations. So what are the core beliefs that
underpin this capacity for dreaming God -sized
dreams? What do we need to truly believe? There
are two core beliefs that are absolutely fundamental,
foundational, really. First, God is able, as
the prophet Jeremiah declared in chapter 32,
verse 17. Ah, sovereign Lord, you have made the
heavens and the earth by your great power and
outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
Nothing. Nothing is too hard. Think about the
vastness of the universe, billions of galaxies,
each with billions of stars, all held together
by his command. If you can do all that, then
your most difficult problem, your most audacious
dream. It's not even mildly difficult for him.
We need to grasp his scale. Second, God is desirous.
Not only is he able, but he's actually willing.
He wants to do great things. 1 Corinthians 2
.9 says God wants to do, "...things which eye
has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which
have not entered the human heart, all that God
has prepared for those who love him." Our biggest
problem isn't usually that our dreams are too
big. It's often that they're far too small. Limited
by our self -imposed beliefs about what God could
or would actually do through us, He wants us
to lift our eyes beyond our daily to -do list
and just survival mode. That reframes our challenges
entirely, shifting the focus from an issue of
our capability to one of God's ability and desire.
Can you give us some examples of how God actually
births these impossible dreams in people, drawing
perhaps from biblical narratives? It seems it's
not always a straightforward, easy process. You're
absolutely right. It's rarely straightforward.
And God often works in surprising, sometimes
even difficult ways to birth these dreams. Consider
Abraham. God commanded him to leave his comfort
zone, his home, his family, and go to an unknown
place first. Only after Abraham stepped out in
obedience did God burst the dream of innumerable
descendants. The principle here seems to be that
God often begins by asking us to step out of
our comfort zone into the unknown. Obedience
first, then the dream. Often, yes. Then look
at Moses. God led him to fail spectacularly in
his own strength. Remember him killing the Egyptian?
He had to flee into exile for decades. This was
preparation, allowing him to learn reliance solely
on divine power for the immense task of delivering
Israel. This teaches us that God sometimes allows
us to fail in our own power to prepare us for
his supernatural accomplishment. He needs us
to realize it's impossible without him. Failure
is preparation. That's counterintuitive. It is.
Think also of Paul. His defining calling was
clarified in a moment of profound personal crisis
on the Damascus road. It shifted him from persecutor
to missionary literally overnight. God often
clarifies our calling in times of crisis, providing
a platform to speak clearly when we are desperate
and our lives feel like they're in disarray.
And closer to home, my own wife, Teresa. Her
crisis of abandonment by her first husband became
the very platform God used. Her pain and brokenness
were transformed into a powerful means for God
to teach and give hope to other single mothers,
helping them reclaim their identity as daughters
of God. This shows that failures, difficulties,
pain, brokenness. These can be the very platform
God uses to fulfill his dreams through us. Turning
points out of pain. Precisely. In my own life,
I experienced this quite vividly. I received
a specific clear directive while sitting in a
field at a retreat many years ago. It wasn't
an audible voice, but a powerful, unmistakable
sense that God wanted me to be a catalyst to
transform how Americans think about God, how
pastors think about preaching, how churches think
about their communities, and how everyday believers
live out their faith. That's a huge vision. It
felt audacious, almost overwhelming, especially
when our radio program was only on two local
stations at the time. But we stepped out. And
within five years, it expanded to 600 stations
across the country. Only God could do that. God
accomplishes big goals, but usually through people
who have decided to actually pursue the dream.
He's placed in their hearts. That's a truly awe
-inspiring personal story. It really demonstrates
God's capacity to use anyone who embraces his
vision. So for those listening right now, what's
a practical process to begin dreaming these God
-sized dreams in their own lives? Where do they
start? The practical process begins with intentionality.
It requires setting aside time to think and pray
differently. Firstly, write it down. I find it
incredibly helpful to actually write down audacious
dreams for specific areas of my life. My marriage,
my children, my career, my ministry on simple
three by five index cards. Then maybe break them
down. Develop several smaller bite -sized steps
that will lead you in the direction of that larger
dream. You don't have to show them to anyone.
Just the act of writing. Yes, the act of writing
them down is like making a contract with yourself.
It creates clear -cut objectives. And there's
something powerful about seeing it black and
white. When you write down your life goals and
desires, you often find you unconsciously gravitate
toward them over time. Secondly, pray over them,
regularly. Pray over your dreams, asking God
to check your motives. Are they truly aligned
with His purposes? Ask for His intervention.
his guidance, his power. He is your biggest supporter,
remember. He wants to see his dreams fulfilled
through you even more than you do. As long as
they're birthed out of your fellowship with him,
they're his business as well as yours. You can
expect him to work them out in his way and in
his timing. God invites you, invites all of us.
to dream great dreams, to know Him and to make
Him known through your unique personality, your
passions, your gifts, your experiences. He wants
to do in you not just something good, not even
something great by worldly standards, but something
truly impossible by human standards. If we're
talking about God -sized dreams, then praying
great prayers must be absolutely central to this
whole process. What does it mean to pray great
prayers? And how does this transform our ability
to actually see those dreams fulfilled? Praying
great prayers is indeed central. It's the engine
room, perhaps. It moves us onto holier ground,
as one writer put it. It's a sacred invitation
to bring our thoughts, our hopes, our audacious
dreams into God's very presence. Remember what
Jesus said in John 16, ask and you will receive
and your joy will be complete. Imagine if we
truly believe that promise, even just to a small
degree. The potential is enormous. Great prayers,
I believe, have distinct characteristics. First,
they're deeply personal. Think of Moses seeking
God's glory, not just guidance, or David desiring
God's presence above all else to dwell in the
house of the Lord, or Paul's intense passion
to know Christ. And fundamentally, Jesus taught
his disciples to call God Abba, an extremely
familiar, intimate term, like daddy or papa.
That intimacy is key. It challenges the idea
of a formal distant God. It's about childlike
dependency and deep intimacy, knowing you are
deeply loved and nothing can come between you
and your father. Second, great prayers are often
birthed in brokenness. They frequently flow from
a sense of spiritual bankruptcy, helplessness,
utter desperation. When we come to God knowing
we have absolutely no resources, no answers,
no strength left to get ourselves out of a situation,
God pays special attention then. When we're at
the end of our rope. Exactly. Think of David's
raw confession in Psalm 51 after his terrible
sin. Or Nehemiah's profound prayer for Jerusalem's
broken walls when he heard the news. This brokenness
shifts the focus completely from our personal
needs and limitations to God's infinite sufficiency.
I recall a financial crisis in our ministry back
in 2003. We had literally 15 days of cash left.
I was crying out to God in my basement, completely
broken, desperate. The next month, usually a
summer drop -off financially, turned out to be
our largest financial response ever up to that
point. God delivered when we were utterly dependent.
Third, great prayers champion God's agenda. They
focus on God's will for the world, not just our
personal needs or comfort. Of course, praying
for our daily bread is good and necessary. But
truly, great prayers seek to blaze a trail for
what God wants done in the world. They align
with Jesus' model prayer, your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
It's about asking big things of a big God for
his glory, seeking to direct the course of history
through prayer. That sounds like a complete reorientation
of our prayer lives then, moving from a primary
self -focus to God's broader purpose and kingdom.
So what else characterizes these impactful prayers?
How do we ensure we're praying effectively, not
just wishfully? Crucially, Great prayers take
God seriously. This means they are promise centered
not problem centered. Why? Because God is sovereign.
He's omniscient He is good and he cannot lie
when he says he'll do something in his word He
will think of promises like I will supply all
your needs according to my glorious riches in
Christ Jesus from Philippians 4 .19 Or my grace
is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect
in weakness from 2nd Corinthians 12 .9 Believing
these promises truly banking on them changes
everything in our prayers trusting his word implicitly
However, there's a significant potential roadblock.
We must address unforgiveness Matthew six point
one teen is starkly clear for if you forgive
other people when they sin against you your Heavenly
Father will also forgive you But if you do not
forgive others their sins your father will not
forgive your sins That's quite challenging. It
is it implies that if our horizontal relationships
with people aren't right our vertical relationship
with God suffers Unforgiveness harbors bitterness,
resentment, and that poisons our prayers, hindering
their effectiveness. This means being willing
to ask God to do for others what we want Him
to do for us. Be merciful and forgiving, even
when it's incredibly difficult. Great prayers
also display tenacious persistence, like Abraham
bargaining with God for Sodom and Gomorrah, persisting
even when feeling like mere dust and ashes, or
Queen Esther risking her life by going uninvited
before the king to intervene for her people.
This willingness to stand in the gap, to press
the issue even when scared or feeling unworthy,
is what often makes ordinary people impact history.
John Knox, the great Scottish reformer, famously
prayed, give me Scotland or I die. And Mary,
Queen of Scots, is said to have feared his prayers
more than all the assembled armies of Europe.
That's persistent prayer. Finally, and most importantly,
great prayers. Always go back to Jesus. Our access
to God, our standing before him, any power we
have to move his heart. It's based solely on
Jesus's finished work on the cross and his role
as our great high priest as Hebrews 4 describes.
His favor makes the impossible possible. It allows
us to receive immeasurably more than all we ask
or imagine as Ephesians 3 .20 puts it. He is
the foundation, the reason we can dare to ask
the improbable and expect the unthinkable. This
kind of prayer, personal, broken, God agenda
driven, promise centered, persistent, and Jesus
centered transforms our ability to see those
God -sized dreams fulfilled. It aligns us with
his agenda and unleashes his power. Okay, so
we've thought great thoughts, read great books,
sought out great people, dreamt great dreams,
and prayed great prayers. This really sounds
like a powerful foundation for personal growth
and effectiveness, but there's a vital element
you address next, taking great risks. How does
risk -taking play into this pursuit of greatness,
and crucially, what sets radical faith apart
from mere recklessness, especially in professions
like medicine where decisions carry immediate,
often high -stakes consequences? Taking great
risks is absolutely vital. It's often at the
edge of a decision, as someone said, where obedience
confronts our comfort or convenience. Breakthroughs,
real spiritual breakthroughs, almost always require
these risky steps of faith. As the writer of
Hebrews states so clearly, without faith, it
is impossible to please God. And where there
is no risk involved, there is simply no faith
being exercised. And without faith, there is
no divine power, often little joy and diminished
intimacy with God. So risk and faith are intrinsically
linked. Inextricably linked, it's entirely possible
to run a church, manage a department, lead a
team, or even live your personal life without
much real faith. You can implement programs,
make sound decisions based on data, teach principles
all without ever stepping out of your comfort
zone and expecting God to do anything supernatural.
Many organizations, even outwardly successful
ones, can be spiritually hollow in God's eyes
if they lack this element of radical, risk -taking
faith. We need to expect a great outcome, not
because of our own abilities, but because God
has promised hope and a future, as Jeremiah 29
.11 says. Our king wins. He's on our side. We
can afford to risk for him. The Bible, of course,
is just full of risk takers. Abraham left everything
familiar for an unknown destination, believing
in tangible promises more than the visible reality
around him. Moses returned to Egypt, facing the
most powerful ruler on earth, risking his life
to demand freedom for slaves. David, just a young
shepherd boy, risked his life against the giant
Goliath, not out of bravado, but because he was
offended by the giant slander against the living
God. Esther risked her life by approaching the
king uninvited, a capital offense to savior people.
Incredible courage. Yes, and in the New Testament,
Peter left his family, his fishing business,
his security, everything, to follow Jesus as
an itinerant preacher with no visible means of
support. Paul, the former persecutor, became
a missionary. enduring stoning, shipwrecks, imprisonments,
yet kept returning to hostile cities because
God's call was greater than his circumstances
or his fear. These are powerful examples of stepping
out despite fear, which leads us to your crucial
distinction. How do we tell the difference between
radical faith and mere recklessness? For medical
professionals, for instance, this could mean
discerning between innovative, bold interventions
rooted in sound principles in prayer versus irresponsible
ill -advised actions. That's a critical point,
especially in high -stakes professions. The key
distinction is this. Radical steps of faith involve
risk, yes, but they also fit with God's clearly
revealed will. They are not contradictory to
his word. They are generally accompanied by wise
counsel from trusted, godly people, and they
are birthed in much prayer. So there's a process
of discernment. Absolutely. Reckless steps, on
the other hand, might involve risk, but they
do not align with God's revealed will or wisdom.
They might be impulsive, self -serving, or ignore
clear scriptural principles or wise counsel.
It's also really important to understand that
fear and faith can, and often do, coexist. Risk
-takers step out in spite of their fear, not
in the absence of it. Esther was terrified when
she approached the king. Peter undoubtedly felt
fear leaving his nets behind. God understands
our fear, our sense of threat and security. But
he doesn't offer us Diet Christianity, a safe,
risk -free version. He rewards faith. Hebrews
11 .6 is unequivocal. Without faith, it is impossible
to please God. He rewards those who earnestly
seek Him. That's incredibly insightful. So for
those of us who might be naturally cautious or
perhaps feel overwhelmed by the idea of such
radical steps, what are the practical ways we
can grow? How do we become great risk takers
for God? It's a growth process for sure. To become
a great risk taker, we need to focus on three
key things. One, refocus your fear. This means
fearing God in the sense of reverent awe and
obedience more than you fear people or circumstances
Psalm 111 point 10 says the fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom This isn't a cowering
fear, but a perspective that prioritizes God's
view above all others It leads to wise choices,
even if they're unpopular or risky Think of Billy
Graham in the 1950s amidst intense racial conflict
in the American South. At his Jackson, Mississippi
crusade, he personally went and pulled down the
ropes, segregating the black and white attendees.
He risked losing significant financial support,
alienating powerful figures, damaging his reputation.
But he chose obedience to God's clear command
to love equally over the fear of man. That moment,
born of fearing God more, became a major watershed
in his ministry. Wow, that took real courage.
Immense courage, rooted in the right fear. 2.
Rejuvenate your faith. You build faith by practicing
faithfulness in the little things. Many Christians,
for example, hesitate to give even a tithe, doubting
God's promise of provision. Yet giving consistently,
even small amounts sacrificially, allows you
to see God's supernatural work in meeting your
needs. It builds your faith muscle. Remember
Enoch in Genesis 5? The text simply says he walked
faithfully with God. He did this so consistently,
so intimately in his daily ordinary life that
God took him away without him even experiencing
fetal death. His consistent faithfulness and
unseen moments built a faith that pleased God
immensely. Start small, be faithful, and watch
your faith grow. Consistency in the small things
builds capacity for bigger risks. Precisely.
3. Recall God's faithfulness. regularly, intentionally
revisit instances of God's past faithfulness.
Look back in scripture, Hebrews 11 is a fantastic
resource, the hall of faith, reminding us of
what God did through Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses,
and many others who took great risks. And also
recall God's faithfulness in your own life. Personally,
I keep journals where I write out my fears, my
prayers, the challenges I'm facing. Then a few
days or weeks or months later, I make a note
of how God intervened, how He answered, how He
provided. Looking back through stacks of these
journals reminds me that what seemed utterly
impossible on a Tuesday was often miraculously
resolved by Thursday, or perhaps took longer,
but was resolved nonetheless. My move to Atlanta
back in 2002, leaving a beloved church and a
secure life, was incredibly difficult for the
first two years. My wife faced serious health
issues. Finances were strained. Ministry felt
challenging. But looking back, I can see how
God used that time to refine my motives, deepen
my dependence, and ultimately fulfill broader
purposes I couldn't have foreseen. Faith is truly
a verb. It's not just what you have as much as
what you do. Great Christians don't play it safe.
They act on what God has said. knowing it's true
because of his character, even when there's a
heavy cost involved. This idea of risk and the
cost involved naturally leads us to the next
practice, making great sacrifices. Now, the world
often views sacrifice primarily as loss or depletion,
but this framework seems to reframe it as an
act of profound love. Can you explain that connection?
And why is it so fundamental to achieving spiritual
greatness? Sacrifice at its very core is merely
love with clothes on, as someone beautifully
put it. The degree of our sacrifice directly
corresponds to the degree of our love. You sacrifice
more for what, or whom, you love more. This concept
is deeply embedded in the biblical understanding
of sacrifice and worship. In the Old Testament
sacrificial system, detailed in Leviticus, access
to God demanded compulsory sacrifices for sin
and guilt. Those were required. But deeper fellowship,
Communion with God grew through the voluntary
offerings burned offerings expressing devotion
grain offerings expressing gratitude peace offerings
expressing celebration and fellowship These voluntary
acts given freely from the heart express profound
love and desire for God himself So there's required
sacrifice and then voluntary sacrifice born of
love exactly and the ultimate Old Testament example
of this is Abraham and Isaac God tested Abraham's
devotion his love by asking him to sacrifice
Isaac his beloved son, the child of promise,
the one through whom all God's future blessings
were supposed to flow. Abraham's willingness
to obey, to sacrifice his most precious possession,
demonstrated unequivocally that he loved God
above all else, even above God's promised blessings.
Isaac was Abraham's most precious possession,
the fulfillment of a long -awaited dream. This
test, what I sometimes call the test of singularity
of devotion, applies to everyone in different
ways. Every significant relationship, every cherished
possession, every deeply held dream will, from
time to time, be asked to go to the altar. It's
not that God wants to take them away necessarily,
but he wants to know if we love him, the giver,
more than the gifts. It's a merciful requirement,
actually, keeping us close to God and revealing
where our true love and allegiance rest. I find
the analogy you use elsewhere of plastic pearls
particularly insightful. It vividly illustrates
how we can cling to things of lesser value, not
realizing the far greater treasure God offers
in exchange. How does this cost everything principle
apply to our lives today, especially for busy
professionals who have invested so much time
and are and identity into their careers, their
families, their financial security. The plastic
pearls analogy is very apt, isn't it? Imagine
a small child clinging tightly to a string of
cheap plastic beads. You offer her a string of
real, lustrous, incredibly valuable pearls in
exchange. But she refuses, crying, no, they're
mine. To us, her attachment makes no logical
sense. She would lose practically nothing and
gain something immensely more valuable. But in
her childish naivety, she doesn't grasp the true
value of the real pearls. We can be like that
child. We can, yes. We often resist sacrificing
our toys, our careers, our families, in the sense
of holding them too tightly, our income, our
comfort, our reputation, our plans, because we
don't fully grasp their relative value compared
to intimacy with God and His eternal promises.
We cling to the plastic pearls. Jesus's radical
call in Luke 14 is startling. If anyone comes
to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife,
and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even
their own life. Such a person cannot be my disciple.
And whoever does not carry their cross and follow
me cannot be my disciple. That word hate is so
strong. It is. It doesn't mean literal emotional
hatred, of course. It's a Semitic idiom meaning
to love less by comparison. It means prioritizing
Jesus, our relationship with him, above all other
relationships, and even our own self -preservation
or agenda. It means a complete surrender of ownership
and control to God. Letting our personal agenda
die that's carrying our cross. This is the paradox
of sacrifice. It caused everything. in terms
of surrender. But not offering yourself fully,
holding back, ultimately costs even more a life
of unfulfillment, missed potential, shallow impact.
Presenting yourself as a living sacrifice, as
Romans 12 urges, is meant to be the normal Christian
life, though sadly, it's perhaps not the typical
one. That's a profound, challenging truth. So
what specifically motivates great Christians
historically and today to embrace such significant
sacrifices? What are the underlying convictions
that propel them forward when the cost seems
so high? I believe there are four key convictions
that consistently motivate great Christians to
make great sacrifices. First, they grasp God's
unconditional love, like the sinful woman in
Luke 7 who anointed Jesus' feet with expensive
perfume and washed them with her tears. Jesus
pointed out that because she recognized how much
she had been forgiven, she loved much. When you
truly grasp the depth of God's love for you,
the immensity of His forgiveness, it naturally
motivates an extravagant, unreserved devotion
in return. It's not about earning His love, but
responding freely to the love already given.
Love motivates sacrifice. Absolutely. Second,
they embrace God's relational economy. God measures
love and sacrifice differently than the world
does. He looks not at the size of the gift in
absolute terms, but the size of the sacrifice
relative to what the giver possesses. Remember
the story of the poor widow's offering compared
to the rich man's large donations in Luke 21?
Jesus said she gave more because she gave all
she had out of her poverty. A tithe from a high
income might be a very generous offering, but
it's not necessarily a sacrifice if it doesn't
truly cost you anything significant in terms
of lifestyle or security. True sacrifice involves
giving up something that genuinely costs you.
It's about the heart and the cost, not just the
amount. Precisely. Third, they believe in eternal
rewards. Jesus promised tangible rewards a hundred
times as much in this present age, and in the
age to come, eternal life. For those who sacrifice
homes, family, or possessions, pour me in the
gospel. Mark 10 .29 -30. Paul echoed this powerfully
in Romans 8 .18 stating that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing with the glory that will
be revealed in us. This eternal perspective elevates
eternal value far above temporal gains. It helps
us let go of our plastic pearls because we glimpse
the value of the real ones God offers. Keeps
the temporary in perspective. Yes. And fourth,
they recognize God's sovereign ownership. Ultimately,
sacrifice is not praiseworthy in itself, but
a profound privilege. Because as King David prayed
when dedicating to the temple offerings, everything
comes from you, and we have given you only what
comes from your hand. First Chronicles 29 .14.
We're simply giving back to God what already
belongs to him. its stewardship. This perspective
was exemplified by individuals like David Brainerd,
a missionary to Native Americans who died young
from tuberculosis, or William Borden, heir to
a fortune, who gave it all away for missions
and also died young. By worldly standards, their
lives seemed like tragic wastes. But their sacrifices
rooted in this conviction of God's ownership
had massive delayed eternal impact, inspiring
thousands to follow in their footsteps. So the
level of love we have for God is directly seen
in our willingness to sacrifice for him. It's
an act of worship. If you aspire to be a great
Christian, be prepared to sacrifice everything
with passion, holding nothing back. Right. After
discussing the intensity of risks and sacrifices,
one might almost expect the path to greatness
to be one of grim austerity. But surprisingly,
this framework includes enjoying great moments.
This seems particular. relevant, perhaps counterintuitive
for high -stress professionals like those in
the medical field who often grapple with burnout
and find joy hard to come by. How does joy and
actively experiencing it fit into this picture
of greatness and sustained impact? It's a vital
and often tragically overlooked component. Great
Christians don't just endure life, they enjoy
it. They find satisfaction and happiness not
as the ultimate goal but as gifts from a good
God. As the writer of Ecclesiastes observed,
there is nothing better for a person than to
rejoice and do good as long as they live. This
is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3 .1213. Joy
is, as C .S. Lewis put it, the serious business
of heaven. Many good Christians are busy, dedicated,
perhaps even stressed. But I don't think there
are any truly great Christians, those with deep
impact, who lack fundamental joy. The New Testament
just overflows with reasons to rejoice, even
amidst difficulties. So joy isn't frivolous,
it's important to God. Why? Yes, joy matters
deeply to God for several reasons. One, it honors
God. When we genuinely enjoy his gifts, a beautiful
sunset, a good meal, laughter with loved ones,
success in our work, it reminds us, and potentially
others, that all good things come from him and
that he is fundamentally good. We can take his
blessings for granted if we don't pause to actually
enjoy them. Two, it sustains in adversity. Remember
Nehemiah 8 .10, the joy of the Lord is your strength.
This deep, God -given joy provides resilience.
It allows us to find strength and perspective
even in the midst of incredibly challenging circumstances,
like those faced daily in medicine. Three, it
renews hearts. Proverbs 17 .22 famously states,
a cheerful heart is good medicine. Modern science
even backs this up. Laughter builds the immune
system, reduces stress hormones, and restores
health. God literally designed us to enjoy life.
It's good for us, body and soul. And four, it
renews us through rest. God designed Sabbath
rest not primarily as a list of prohibitions,
but as a gift, a required vacation day, if you
will. It's an invitation to stop our striving,
to reflect, and to actively enjoy God's gifts,
His creation, our relationships, His presence.
This renews our bodies and hearts. It's about
breaking free from the relentless modern -day
assumption that we must work seven days a week
just to keep up or be sustained. What's fascinating
here is how the story of the prodigal son's older
brother illuminates what you call a warped theology
of pleasure. How does focusing solely on performance
or duty prevent us from experiencing the joy
that's already available to us? This feels very
relatable to many high achieving professionals
who perhaps tie their self -worth entirely to
their productivity or accomplishment. The older
brother in that parable is such a poignant figure,
isn't he? He was focused entirely on earning
his father's favor through dutiful, flawless
performance. He worked hard in the fields, obeyed
all the rules, but he was so absorbed in his
good behavior, his performance, that he missed
the profound truth his father revealed to him.
My son, you are always with me and everything
I have is yours. Luke 15 .31 he already had access
to everything everything he could have killed
the fattened calf and thrown a party anytime
he wanted he didn't need to earn it but he was
so driven by performance so focused on his own
righteousness that he couldn't enjoy the life
the relationship the inheritance he already possessed
many sincere believers fall into this performance
trap they were zealous diligent they work incredibly
hard for god but they lack genuine joy this drivenness
as opposed to healthy God -given drive, is often
subtly rooted in self -righteousness, perhaps
even arrogance, and certainly a warped theology
of pleasure. How so, warped theology? Well, many
people, consciously or unconsciously, equate
pleasure with sin, or at least view it with deep
suspicion. This leads to either feeling guilty
about enjoying things, guilty pleasures, or avoiding
legitimate enjoyment altogether. C .S. Lewis,
again, hit the nail on the head when he remarked,
Suppressing genuine God -ordained pleasure can
lead to frustration, burnout, depression, and
sometimes, sadly, very ungodly outcomes, like
midlife crises born from years of denying legitimate
internal desires for joy and connection. That
resonates deeply, especially for professionals
often operating under immense pressure to perform,
and perhaps neglecting their own well -being.
So what are some practical tips for busy individuals?
How can they actively cultivate and even plan
for these great moments of joy amidst the demands?
It absolutely requires intentionality, and often
a retraining of our ingrained habits. Here are
a few practical things. One, slow down. As the
author John Ortberry was once advised by a mentor,
you must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your
life. That takes discipline. It does. Slim down.
This isn't literal weight loss, though that might
be relevant for some. It means simplifying your
schedule, your commitments, your relentless goals.
Don't get overextended. Remember Mary and Martha.
Martha was praised for her diligent service,
but Mary was commended for choosing the better
part, prioritizing simply being with Jesus, Luke
10 .3842. Your primary calling is a relationship
with Christ, not just an endless agenda for Him.
Focus more on being than just doing. Quality
over quantity and commitments. Exactly. Three,
live now. Don't constantly postpone joy for some
future state when I retire, when I get the right
job, when the kids are older, when this project
is finished. Don't dwell excessively on past
regrets or future anxieties. The present moment
is the only one you truly have stewardship over.
Learn to be present and find joy in the now.
Intentionally notice and celebrate small blessings,
small moments of beauty or grace. For years I
lived near the ocean but rarely actually saw
it. I started making myself get up early occasionally
just to watch the sunrise over the Pacific, taking
a moment to appreciate a bird singing outside
the hospital window, or the intricate design
of a flyer, or the smile of a patient or colleague.
These moments of appreciating creation's beauty
or simple human connection are gifts from God,
readily available if you just take the time to
look to notice. Cultivating awareness. Yes. And
five. Plan in. This might sound unspiritual,
but schedule enjoyable activities, family time,
personal worship, and rest into your daily, weekly,
and annual calendar. If it's not planned, especially
for busy people, it often simply won't happen.
Critically, try prioritizing the B items, things
related to relationships, rest, prayer, reflection,
before you fill the calendar with all the do
items like phone calls, meetings, and tasks.
This ensures the essential aspects of life and
relationship are not consistently neglected,
fostering a closer relationship with God, and
ultimately a more joyful and sustainable life.
By integrating these practices, you can cultivate
a joyful, winsome testimony, even amidst the
pressures of a demanding life or career. If we
are seeking greatness ourselves in the way we've
defined it, then empowering great people must
be a natural outflow, mustn't it? What does it
mean to leave a lasting legacy for others? And
how can we be intentional about it, particularly
for those already in positions of leadership
or mentorship in their fields, such as senior
medical staff training the next generation? Absolutely.
True greatness, as Jesus redefined it, culminates
in serving others for God's glory. And specifically,
it involves equipping others to become all God
intends for them to be. Great Christians, those
with lasting impact, end their lives with a comma,
not a period, because they have multiplied themselves
in others. Paul's instruction to Timothy in 2
Timothy 2 .2 is the classic model. The things
which you have heard from me in the presence
of many witnesses entrust these to faithful men
who will be able to teach others also. Notice
the four generations mentioned there. Paul, Timothy,
faithful men, and others also. That's the power
of reproduction. Multiplication, not just addition.
Exactly. There's a key principle here. Productivity
is no substitute for reproduction. You can be
incredibly busy, productive, achieve great things
yourself. But if you haven't intentionally reproduced
your life, your faith, your skills, and others
who can then reproduce them again, your impact
is limited. Sadly, relatively few Christians
intentionally develop a spiritual lineage by
investing deeply in others this way. So how do
we practically go about leaving this kind of
legacy? How do we empower others effectively?
There are several key steps. First, help many.
train a few. Jesus ministered to multitudes,
he healed many, taught thousands. But he deeply
trained, mentored, and invested his life into
a select few, the 12 disciples who would then
go on to change the world. You can and should
contribute broadly to many lives. But you must
invest deeply, disproportionately, in only a
few key individuals whom God brings across your
path. How do you choose who to invest in? That
requires prayer and discernment. Look beyond
just personality, charisma, or raw talent. Look
for faithfulness in small things. Availability,
are they willing to make time? And teachability,
are they humble and eager to learn? Those qualities,
faithfulness, availability, teachability, F -A
-T as some call it, are often better indicators
of future impact than raw giftedness alone. Second,
look under your own roof. Legacy building, spiritual
empowerment, starts with those for whom you have
direct moral responsibility, your family, your
spouse, your children. Paul is very clear in
1 Timothy 3 that a key qualification for leadership
in the church is managing one's own family well.
Sadly, history is littered with examples of leaders
in ministry and business who achieved great public
success while neglecting their own families,
leading to heartbreaking consequences, struggles
with faith, addiction, broken relationships for
their children and spouses. If you want to empower
great people, start at home. That's your first
and arguably most important sphere of influence.
A crucial reminder. Third, bring them in. You
can't effectively mentor or disciple people from
a distance just by giving instructions or information.
You need to model the message by living authentically
alongside them. Jesus lived with his disciples
2047 for three years. He allowed them to smell
and taste and see the Christian life in action,
the good, the bad, the struggles, the triumphs.
This builds genuine relationship which is far
more powerful for transformation than just imparting
knowledge. You show them what it means to be
a follower of Christ, living out the truth daily
in real life. Riving it out together. Yes. And
fourth, build them up. This involves more than
just encouragement, though that's vital. It means
affirming their strengths and potential, inspiring
them to dream God -sized dreams for themselves,
but also having the courage to lovingly confront
their flaws, blind spots, and areas needing growth.
Equipping involves training their head, imparting
knowledge and understanding, their heart, shaping
character and motives, and their hands, developing
practical skills. It's holistic development.
You challenge them to become better, like my
mentor Bill Lawrence challenging my preaching
laziness because he saw potential. Our goal for
those we empower should be to help them become
truly great, perhaps even exceeding our own impact
for God's glory. It's quite striking, though,
that despite this clear pathway for multiplication,
you suggest that relatively few people truly
leave a lasting legacy in this way. Professor
Howard Hendricks, your own mentor, identified
three common reasons for this failure. Can you
elaborate on those? Why do so many fall short
here? Yes. Professor Hendricks, who is a master
equipper himself, often highlighted three critical
reasons why so few leave a lasting multiplying
legacy. First, lack of discipline. Simply put,
you cannot impart what you do not possess. Paul
could confidently tell people to imitate me as
I imitate Christ, 1 Corinthians 11 .1 also 4
.1617, because his own life was exemplary, disciplined,
and aligned with his message. Leaving a legacy
requires personal discipline, being willing to
do the hard work ourselves, to turn off the TV,
break bad habits, wake up earlier, prioritize
prayer and study in order to cultivate the qualities
and skills we hope to pass on. If you want to
empower great people, you must first commit to
becoming exemplary yourself. There are no shortcuts.
Leading by example, fundamentally. Fundamentally.
Second, lack of vision. This is often a failure
to see beyond one's own lifespan or one's own
immediate ministry or career. Hendricks himself,
as I mentioned, didn't focus primarily on building
a huge personal media ministry or writing countless
bestsellers, though he could have. Instead, he
strategically invested deeply in a few key leaders.
Men like Tony Evans, Chuck Swindle, David Jeremiah,
who in turn went on to lead massive ministries
and impact millions globally. His legacy isn't
just in what he did directly, but in who he produced
and equipped. It's about focusing on multiplication
over mere addition or personal platform building,
seeing the bigger, longer term picture. thinking
generationally. Precisely. And third, lack of
focus. This relates to the help many train a
few principle. Trying to help everyone equally,
spreading oneself thin across too many commitments
or superficial relationships inevitably hinders
deep, transformative investment in anyone. The
principle requires strategic focus and selectivity
guided by prayer. Without that focus you risk
ending up with a diffuse shallow impact and perhaps
looking back at the end of your life wondering
how it slipped away without leaving a significant
lasting multiplying imprint on others. Our own
greatness in this kingdom sense is deeply connected
to our genuine interest in seeing other Christians
become great. It's realized as we serve them
by equipping them to hopefully exceed our own
impact for the sake of the gospel. Finally then,
you emphasize developing great habits as the
thread that ties all these other practices together.
Now habits can sometimes sound less spiritual
and more like, well, self -improvement techniques
or productivity hacks. How are habits so crucial
for living out a truly great Christian life?
And how can we realistically cultivate them amidst
our already packed schedules, particularly for
those in demanding professions like medicine
with unpredictable hours and constant pressure?
It's a brilliant connection actually, and far
more spiritual than it might initially seem.
Habits are indeed the thread that integrates
all these other practices we've discussed. Thinking
great thoughts, reading great books, pursuing
great people, dreaming great dreams, praying
great prayers, taking risks, making sacrifices,
enjoying moments into a fluid, consistent, integrated
lifestyle. They are what make these principles
part of who we are, not just things we occasionally
do. Ultimately, our habits dictate who we become
over time. Discipline, cultivated through habits,
is described in Scripture as a godly means of
grace. Habits create the structure, the highway,
as Dallas Willard put it, on which the grace
of God is delivered into our lives. Spiritual
maturity doesn't just happen. It comes through
training, through practice, through developing
trained senses to discern good from evil, as
Hebrews 5 puts it. That training happens through
consistent habits. So habits create the channels
for growth. Exactly. We all operate largely on
autopilot. run by unconscious routines and habits,
both good and bad. True transformation, moving
towards greatness, requires consciously examining
these deeply ingrained patterns and often intentionally
breaking the negative ones and establishing positive
ones. For instance, years ago, I realized I had
a habit of watching the late night news. I felt
the world wasn't quite right until I knew the
latest bad news, but it kept me from getting
up early for time with God. So I broke that habit.
Concurrently, as a family, we did a six week
experiment. Absolutely no television on school
nights. The first few days were, frankly, bedlam.
The kids didn't know what to do with themselves.
I can imagine. But by the fourth or fifth day,
something shifted. We started playing board games
together. Later, the kids started developing
musical talents, reading more, building stronger
family relationships. And personally, I gained
about 2 .5 hours back in my day. That's the power
of intentionally changing just one habit. That's
a fantastic example of how a relatively small
change can have such a significant ripple effect.
You also use a powerful, perhaps slightly uncomfortable
metaphor comparing some detrimental spiritual
habits to a stench. Can you explain that? And
how it applies to how Christians might unknowingly
conform to worldly patterns without even realizing
it? Yes, the stench metaphor comes from a real
experience I had visiting a home where the living
conditions were filled with such squalor and
filth that the smell was genuinely nauseating
to me as an outsider. But the inhabitants, having
lived in it for so long, had become completely
accustomed to it. It seemed normal to them. They
couldn't smell it anymore. Acclimatized to it.
Completely. Spiritually, I fear many Christians
have allowed their minds and lives to be filled
with so much garbage from the surrounding culture.
unholy attitudes, unethical choices, negative
or impure media, constant comparison, materialism,
that no longer seems like garbage to them, it
feels normal. They then wonder why their lives
aren't changing, why they don't experience more
joy or victory, yet they're unconsciously being
conformed to the pattern of this world, as Romans
12 .2 warns against. This might be why public
opinion polls often show almost identical statistics
between self -professed Christians and non -Christians
on critical issues like marital fidelity, financial
honesty, attitudes towards the poor, or even
rates of addiction. Real transformation requires
consciously separating ourselves from this worldly
conformity, bringing those unhealthy mental and
behavioral habits that we've perhaps become numb
to. That's a sobering thought indeed. So for
those listening who want to actively cultivate
great habits and break free from negative patterns,
what are some practical actionable habits we
can start developing today? Where should they
begin? Let's focus on three practical foundational
habits for transformation. First, give God the
best. This typically means prioritizing God first
in your day, most often through a dedicated morning
quiet time for prayer and scripture. This is
often the single most difficult habit to establish
and maintain consistently, especially with demanding
schedules. It requires real self -discipline
and sometimes external accountability. Early
in my own Christian life, I really struggled
with consistency until I asked my college roommate,
Bob, to literally hold me accountable. When my
alarm went off and I inevitably hit the snooze
button, he had permission, which he used, to
physically get me out of bed, reminding me of
my commitment. It sounds drastic, but it worked.
It's about finding whatever system helps you
make your relationship with God the genuine priority,
not just an afterthought. Whatever it takes.
Whatever it takes. Second, do your own dishes.
This is a metaphor, obviously, for taking personal
responsibility for your actions, your mistakes,
your messes, rather than making excuses, blaming
others or playing the victim. There's a temptation,
especially in affluent cultures, towards what
some call affluenza, a sense of entitlement or
lack of responsibility. A true disciple aims
to leave things better than they found them.
I remember a mentor telling a story about seeing
another respected leader picking up stray bits
of paper at a petrol station forecourt. When
asked why, he simply said, a disciple of Christ
leaves things better than he found them. That
applies spiritually, too. Internalizing God's
grace doesn't mean excusing sin or laziness.
It means taking responsibility for our own growth
and impact. Owning our part. Exactly. Third,
get it done now. This is about fighting procrastination,
especially on important but difficult tasks.
Try to address the hardest, most challenging,
or most dreaded tasks early in the day, if possible.
For me, back in seminary, this meant tackling
Greek and Hebrew homework at 4 a .m. in an all
-night coffee shop. Because I knew if I didn't
do it then, with a clear head, it simply wouldn't
get done later when I was tired. Postponing difficult
things creates background stress and robs present
joy. Cultivating the habit of tackling small
hard things upfront builds immense discipline
and effectiveness over time. Those are powerful,
tangible steps. Beyond these individual habits,
you also suggest structuring life for greatness
using practical tools. How do seemingly mundane
things like index cards, calendars, and to -do
lists contribute to a profoundly impactful life,
especially for busy professionals juggling complex
schedules and multiple responsibilities? These
tools, while seemingly mundane, can actually
provide what I call a freedom of structure. They
help translate good intentions into concrete
reality. 3x5 index cards. for clear -cut objectives.
As I mentioned regarding dreams, write down your
specific desires and goals for every key area
of your life. Personal spiritual growth, marriage,
children, career development, ministry, impact.
Read them regularly, perhaps weekly or even daily.
You don't need to memorize them verbatim. The
power is that your mind and heart will unconsciously
begin to gravitate toward these written goals.
It provides clarity and direction, helping you
move intentionally toward your God -given plans
instead of just drifting. Yes, calendars. I used
to hate calendars, feeling they hemmed me in.
But then I realized my mental to -do list was
infinite and always left me feeling guilty. So
I flipped my approach. I decided to prioritize
scheduling the be items before the do items.
My desire for a great marriage meant a regular
date night with my wife went on the calendar
first as a non -negotiable. time for focused
prayer, exercise, quality time with my kids,
all the relational and restorative B items were
scheduled before I filled the remaining slots
with phone calls, meetings, and tasks. This ensures
that the essential aspects of life and relationship
are not constantly crowded out by the urgent,
but less important. Doesn't mean everything always
gets done perfectly, but it helps direct the
overall course of your life towards what truly
matters most. Prioritizing the important over
the merely urgent. Precisely. To -do lists. Now,
while they are never fully completed, they are
still important for maintaining focus day to
day. Write down your responsibilities and opportunities,
perhaps starring the absolute essentials for
that day. But then, critically, try using it
as a prayer guide. Before you start, pray over
the list, asking God for wisdom, energy, and
help with each item. As things get completed,
offer a quick prayer of thanks. It transforms
a potentially stressful list into a spiritual
tool, providing tangible evidence of God's faithfulness
and helping you manage your daily responsibilities.
That refrains the to -do list completely. Finally,
this framework strongly emphasizes turning it
off, deliberately embracing rest. This is often
the hardest habit for driven, high -achieving
individuals, like many in the medical profession,
to cultivate. How does Sabbath rest play such
a crucial role in achieving and sustaining greatness,
and perhaps most importantly, preventing burnout?
Rest is a thoroughly biblical command. Yet, as
you say, often the hardest one for us to obey
in our 247 culture. And it's fundamentally a
huge faith issue. Hebrews four tells us to make
every effort or be diligent to enter that rest,
implying it doesn't come easily or naturally.
We have to strive for it. For those with a strong
work ethic, a do -it -now mentality, the Sabbath
provides crucial balance and perspective. It's
about trusting God will sustain you, your practice,
your projects, your family, even if you completely
close down for a full day. Trusting that he can
accomplish more in six days of rested, focused
work than you can in seven days of exhausted
striving. Think of businesses like Chick -fil
-A in the U .S., which remain highly successful
despite being closed on Sundays. A testament,
perhaps, to God honoring that principle. It requires
real trust. It requires enormous trust. The Sabbath
principle is God's gracious gift to us. It's
about intentionally breaking harmful patterns
of being constantly driven by external pressures
or internal anxieties versus having healthy God
-given drive. As a self -confessed recovering
workaholic, I had to learn this the hard way.
I had to learn to physically leave work at the
office to mentally switch off and go home to
be the husband, the father, and simply the child
of God I needed to be. The command is simple.
Take 24 hours every seven days and just stop.
Turn off the phone, the computer, the alerts,
whatever it is that keeps you mentally tethered
to work or striving. Be restored, renewed, refreshed
by enjoying His creation, His presence and fellowship
with loved ones. This practice honestly probably
saved my life in ministry from burnout. By intentionally
breaking bad habits like constant work and establishing
good ones like regular rest, we move from a cycle
of frustration and exhaustion towards sustained
fruitfulness, integrating all these practices
for a truly great life in every sense of the
word. We've certainly journeyed through a profound
and challenging framework today for unlocking
true greatness. Thinking great thoughts, reading
great books, pursuing great people, dreaming
God -sized dreams, praying great prayers, taking
great risks, making great sacrifices, enjoying
great moments, empowering great people, and finally
developing great habits. This isn't just a blueprint
for personal achievement, is it? It's really
about cultivating a life of profound, sustained
impact, lived out with integrity and joy, even
within the unique pressures of demanding professional
environments like medicine. If you found value
in today's deep dive, please do consider sharing
it with a colleague or perhaps leaving a review
where you listen. Your insights and feedback
really do help others discover these important
conversations. Indeed. And perhaps a final thought
to leave with you is this. The pursuit of greatness,
defined in the profound framework, isn't really
about your own personal achievement or fulfillment.
It's ultimately about cultivating a life so deeply
rooted in God and his purposes, so impactful
that it inspires a ripple effect of grace and
transformation for generations to come. What
intentional step will you take this week, perhaps
even today, to begin shaping that lasting legacy?