I am blessed to be part of B&H Publishing's Bloggers Program so I periodically get a great assortment of new books to read. Today, I selected Fulfilled: The Refreshing Alternative to the Half-Empty Life by Joey Lankford. The book chronicles his journey from a comfortable life in Tennessee to the mission field in South Africa after he felt called by God to leave his quest for material wealth and comfort behind. Lankford sold everything he owned and moved his family to South Africa to spread the Gospel. At first, I felt I didn't have much to learn from the book. I have given up some level of comfort, personal and professional, to follow a dream God placed on my heart more times than I can count. I left high-paying and relatively secure jobs because I felt His calling to pursue something else. While I haven't made it to a mission field, it wouldn't take much for me to drop everything and go if asked. Even though I enjoy nice things, I'm not completely driven by the need to get them.
After that conversation with my friend, I found myself wondering whether I am as "spiritually mature" as I think I am. Were all those moves really about listening and surrendering to His will or did I have my own (more worldly) motives mixed in? Was I really just after another shiny thing? For some reason, I think He wants me to reflect on this question now. I'm grateful that Fulfilled, and my dear friend, put the issue on my heart.
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