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Thanksgiving Day was chaos. With over 40 guests coming, we were scrambling to get everything ready. One family showed up early, and in our rush, someone knocked over a huge bowl of salad with dressing. I still remember standing there, spatula in hand, watching that salad soar through the air like it was in slow motion before it landed with a splat on our white stone floor.
Everyone jumped into action. Someone grabbed paper towels, another person squirted cleaning solution—almost ruining the delicate stone. More guests arrived early, adding to the stress. But one of the teenagers, dressed very elegantly, gave the barely visible spot one last scrub. When I asked why she said, “I want to. And it’s fun.”
In the middle of all that chaos, her unexpected joy was like a breath of fresh air, and it came from simply sharing that moment together. Later, I asked the same teenager to make another salad to replace the ruined one. She made it beautifully, and it tasted even better than it looked.
Now, think about this: there’s a big difference between having to do something and wanting to do it. I overheard a group of young adults dreading the new workweek and complaining about life. The more I listened, the more I realized they were missing something—they didn’t find meaning in what they were doing.
The key is in the difference between have to and want to. Have to implies that it is not by choice, “forced” and a sense of unwillingness. Want to implies that you are doing it willingly with your heart. Bridging that gap from ‘have to’ to ‘want to’ starts with leadership, whether in your family, at work, or even in your own life. But when you’re the leader, remember that it’s not about you. It’s about how you lead others to make meaningful choices. Do you inspire positivity or negativity? Do you bring people closer to God or push them away? Helping others find meaning in life is about guiding them toward joy that lasts forever.
You can’t just tell someone to be happy—they have to want it for themselves. And that takes humility, obedience, and wisdom from God. When we trust Him, amazing things like walking on water happens. But to walk on water, we’ve got to get out of the boat, even if it’s a comfortable one.
Humility means letting go—letting go of pride and ego. It’s about listening to God, even when it contradicts what you’ve learned elsewhere. Like Apollos in the Bible, who was a great preacher but didn’t know about Jesus until Aquila and Priscilla taught him. He accepted their teaching with humility and became even more powerful in his preaching (Acts 18:24-28).
Obedience follows humility. We can’t obey God if we’re too proud to admit we need Him. When you invite others to church, don’t worry about the speaker—God will deliver the message through whoever is up there. God’s teachings are worth more than anything this world can offer, so just obey Him. Obey His commands. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3.
And then there’s wisdom. In Judges 8, Ephraim, the biggest tribe among the Israelites, was too lazy to help Gideon and even took credit for what they didn’t do. They accused Gideon of something he didn’t do, but Gideon didn’t fight back because he was wise—he chose peace. We need to do the same, especially when wrongly accused, because otherwise, someone gets hurt.
The richness in life often comes from our memories, but true fulfillment happens when having to becomes wanting to. When you find meaning in your life, it leads to a new kind of assurance about the future—one that promises eternal life. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
So, let’s embrace this new future that’s beyond this world. Join us at our upcoming Fall Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation (ESSC), and let’s build that future together. You can also join us for the Fall ESSC via online streaming. Here’s the ESSC schedule:
Thursday, September 26, 2024 6:50PM to 8:10PM
Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, 2024 9:00AM to 8:10PM
Sunday, September 29, 2024 9:00AM to 1:00PM
Complimentary lunch and dinner will be served.
Please find our church location below:
4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
Google Maps
In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.
Friday Evening Service: 7:50PM – 9:00PM
Saturday Morning Service: 10:50AM – 12:00Noon
Saturday Afternoon Service: 1:30PM – 2:40PM
Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org
