JULY 16, 2026

     “Work as if everything depended on you. Pray as if everything depended on God.” 

― Ignatius of Loyola

PSALM 19-21

7The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

9The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.(19:7-9)

ACTS 19:21-41

23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

JOURNAL 

The more I reflect on obedience, the more I realize how often I viewed it as the pathway to the life I wanted. I believed that if I faithfully followed God, He would help me achieve my hopes and dreams. While that sounds spiritual, it subtly made my dreams the destination and God the means of getting there. Yet God is not a tool to accomplish my plans. He is the destination Himself. Even good dreams can become idols when they begin shaping my decisions more than God's voice. When that happens, I start measuring obedience by outcomes, questioning my faithfulness whenever life doesn't unfold as I expected, and becoming tempted to compromise because the goal has become more important than the One who called me.

The story of Demetrius in Acts reminds me that idols are rarely just statues. More often they are the futures we refuse to surrender. Demetrius wasn't protecting truth; he was protecting the life he had built. I can see the same temptation in myself whenever a desired outcome begins to dictate my choices. Paul, on the other hand, was remarkably free because his purpose was never success, comfort, influence, or recognition. His one ambition was faithfulness to Christ. Whether he was preaching to thousands or sitting in prison, his responsibility never changed. The results belonged to God.

One of my favorite scenes in City Slickers comes when Curly holds up one finger and tells Mitch the secret to life is "one thing." For Paul, that one thing was obedience to Christ. The more I think about it, the more I realize that simplicity is what gave him such incredible courage. He didn't have to constantly evaluate whether life was working out according to plan because his purpose never changed with his circumstances.

At the same time, surrendering outcomes is not the same as surrendering ambition. God never calls us to passive resignation or mediocre effort. Paul's life was marked by extraordinary discipline, relentless work, careful planning, and unwavering perseverance. The difference was not that he worked less hard, but that he worked for a different reason. I am still called to dream, to build, to teach, to coach, to lead, and to pursue excellence with everything I have. The difference is that I no longer pursue those things to secure a particular future. I pursue them because obedience deserves my very best. I work as hard as I can, develop every gift God has entrusted to me, and strive for excellence in every task, but I leave the outcome entirely in His hands.

Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He called His disciples to take up their cross daily. Every day I surrender not only my sin but also my insistence that faithfulness must produce the future I have imagined. My responsibility is not to manufacture tomorrow. It is to be fully obedient today. I can dream without worshiping my dreams, strive without being enslaved by success, and work tirelessly without carrying the burden of controlling the results. My one thing is no longer achieving the life I envisioned. My one thing is faithfully following Christ wherever He leads, trusting that His plans are always greater than my own.

23Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 

LUKE 9:23-24