When I first came to faith as a young 16-year-old kid, there was a period in which I was really legalistic. Part of my rigid thinking back then was that if anyone fell outside of my definition of right and wrong or good and evil, I would question whether they were a heretic. In fact, though it’s sad to admit now, at one point I thought my Grandpa Schuller (who I was very close to) might be. 

During that time in my life, it was common for me to go out on a boat with my Dad and Grandpa. While my dad was serious about fishing, my Grandpa and I not so much, so we would just talk and wait, him drinking coffee and me sipping Diet Coke. On one particular day, my Grandpa had a copy of his newest book with him, which he invited me to read out loud (mostly because we were bored). I saw the title, “If It’s Going to Be, It’s Up to Me,” and I thought to myself, “No, if it’s going to be, it’s up to God.” Uninterested, I almost handed it back to him, but because I had incredible love and respect for my grandfather, I took it and read the title out loud. Unimpressed by my level of enthusiasm on the first try, he said, “No, read it with passion!” After a second try, I got a similar response and I could tell he was bothered by my lack of conviction. By this time, I was thoroughly annoyed, so I just decided to go for it in a manner that was meant to make fun of the situation. I held the book as if I was MacBeth and dramatically exclaimed, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me!”, at which point, my Grandpa said, “Yes! Perfect! Perfect!” Since I had so much invested by then, I ended up taking that book home to read it, and it helped me gain insight into what he had been doing in his ministry all along. I learned that he was trying to help people fathom that because of God, they could do anything, but they still had to make a choice, and that’s an idea I totally agree with!

Friend, my Grandpa wanted you to understand that God loves it when you believe that anything is possible in your life! However, beyond belief, he wanted you to know that Jesus is overjoyed when you take action according to your faith. Whatever the Lord has put in your heart is there for a reason. No seed is planted without the potential for harvest, so follow the way of the Sower and water your dreams and visions. When you step out in faith and explore His lead, He comes beside you to multiply and create something so beautiful that the world sees His glory clearly through it! Isn’t that an awesome thought?