Nov 04 2011

The Limited or Unlimited Life

by Amanda | 5 Comments

Wondering if your life feels limited...or unlimited. 

Maybe you caught the Steve Jobs documentary that premiered this week on PBS.  I got about 5 minutes in, and hit rewind over and over on my DVR, to make sure I got this quote right.  

In an old interview Steve Jobs said,

"When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world.  Try not to bash into the walls too much, try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money.  That's a very limited life.  Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you.  And you can change it, you can influence it.  You can build your own things that other people can use.  Once you learn that, you will never be the same again." -Steve Jobs

At first, I was offended.  How could he call family life a limited life?  Steve Jobs, may have wanted to change the world and influence it by building cool stuff.  I may not be able to build or invent anything, but we get to do something better, we are building people who will grow up to build more people all who believe in the unconditional love of others.  

I want to change the world and influence it by building cool people that believe in a very cool God.  I want to raise my children to love God, and serve God, to see needs and meet them, changing the way the world sees God one life at a time.  

We have an amazing opportunity to teach our families and those in our sphere of influence an unlimited view of life that they can in turn teach others.  A life that is based on knowing that God is real, knowing that God is not mad at you, that He is not counting up your sins, that he cares so deeply for you that he rejoices over you with singing, His thoughts towards you are countless as the sand on the seashore.  He even says he knows how many hairs are on your head. Knowing a God like that is on your side, then what couldn't you accomplish? Who cares what people think your life should be like.  If your life doesn't fit the mold of a perfect family in a perfect 4 bedroom house in the perfect school district, welcome to the club, welcome to the unlimited life.

 

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Comments (5) -

11/4/2011 2:17:39 PM
Dorothy Folkman United States
Dorothy Folkman
You are influencing people Amanda more than you know.
One day I reinjured a not quite healed injury and was getting to let a string of not so nice words fly when you started talking about being a light in this world for others. I realized my actions and words of late had not been lighting the way for fellow believers or new ones or anyone else.
My light is starting to shine again for others, because you let God use you to be a light for me.
11/4/2011 4:19:31 PM
Jeff United States
Jeff
My wife makes the very cogent observation that we all tend to both bless and tear down from the perspectives afforded by our respective giftedness.  So, if we are gifted in the area of evangelism we will tend to bless, encourage and otherwise support those of similar perspective...or at least their activities.  At the same time, we will at least scratch our heads or more probably criticize those who's focus tends to be pastoring those already saved.  The truth being that the body requires both.  It's also good to listen for God calling you outside your giftedness.  He's really good at using discomfort to get us to grow.

Steve Jobs gifts were technological innovation and a goal driven approach to achieving business objectives...so that's what the world looked like to him...at least largely.  When you're a hammer, oh so very much looks like a nail.    
11/5/2011 11:43:40 AM
Patrick United States
Patrick
Hi Amanda,
Based upon what I have heard and read so far I am not sure how much we should be looking up to Steve Jobs.  While he certainly was the force behind an extremely successful company and also a very creative innovator, I would seriously question whether those traits are what is important.  It's funny how society and our culture tends to focus on success, fame and money.  I think that as we find out more about Steve Jobs we will find that his priorities are probably much different than those we seek when God is first in our lives.

Just to be clear, I do appreciate his innovations and successes (I am writing this on my iPad) but I'm still not sure Steve Jobs will be on my list of people I would admire.

Have a blessed day.
11/5/2011 2:43:29 PM
Chelsea United States
Chelsea
Hi Amanda,

Sometimes we get so caught up in this world that we forget to focus on the amazing role model God blessed this earth with, Jesus Christ.

Thank you Amanda for being so real and honest with yourself and all of your listeners.

Living my unlimited life and feeling so blessed!
11/6/2011 10:22:01 PM
David P. Bernal United States
David P. Bernal
Thank you Amanda,

I appreciate the fact that raising your children is just as important as inventing new technology.

As a matter of fact, the technology will always grow old, outdated and someone will always come up with something that is newer and better.

What you build in the hearts and minds of your children has eternal value and worth.

Maybe one of your children will be a "world changer" for Christ.

But, even if we never know their name outside of your sharing what's happening in your family - you have made a much bigger contribution to this earth.

In His Grace,


David
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