A Young Man After God’s Own Heart

Straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Remember my trip to Australia that I mentioned earlier? I called it a challenging trip—an extreme adventure. Well, I’ve been on other crazy ventures as well, and on one of them, when the dust finally settled afterward, I had traveled through seven countries in 17 days!

The day-by-day log of the trip went something like this: Sightseeing on a double-decker bus in London. Straddling a camel at the base of the pyramids in Egypt. Floating in the mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea in Israel. Walking “the street called Straight” in Damascus, Syria. Climbing the ancient stairs of the Coliseum in Rome. Riding a donkey between sheer red-rock walls in a narrow crevice leading to the deserted city of Petra in Jordan.

And on the final night of that adventure, before heading for home, I was in Athens, Greece, witnessing an impressive light show while hearing about the glories of ancient Greece. The announcer’s voice boomed out to the thousands of onlookers the history of how the Greeks had started the Olympic games more than 2,000 years ago. He dramatically described how the modern-day Olympics we now enjoy every four years are just an extension of those ancient events.

Well, several years have passed since that memorable evening in Athens. So vivid was it that I experience many of the sights and sounds of Greece all over again when I watch the Olympics on TV! Even if you don’t like sports, you can’t help but be drawn into this greatest of all sporting events in the world.

And, as you watch the games, the commentators give out a lot of information about the different participants. They talk about how hard these Olympians work and the price they pay to prepare to even qualify for their sport, let alone participate in the Olympics.

Many of today’s competitors practice 12 to 16 hours a day, six days a week—for years!—to run a ten-second race, to swim a lightning-speed lap, to perform a triple-with-a-twist gymnastics move, to contort over the pole-vault bar, to guide a horse to jump a man-high brick wall. These people are fiercely dedicated in their desire to compete—and win! Therefore, they pay the price.

I have to tell you, as I listen to the commentary and watch the breathtaking, strenuous competition that takes place during the Olympics, I can’t help but wonder about my own commitment to run the race I’m in—the Christian race. To swim in the pool I’m in—the world. To press for the prize I’m to seek—“the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). To give my utmost—for His highest. To “go for the gold”—for eternity! Do I have an Olympian’s mentality? Am I motivated and driven to complete some task, or to train or prepare for some event or assignment or ministry? Do I have the will, the desire, to pay the price and press onward for the prize and hopefully win?

What about you? How’s your commitment to “go for the gold”? Oh, not for Olympic gold, but for the gold of another kind—the gold of being the best you can be? The gold that has you doing your best at every event, activity, work chore, homework assignment, whatever—all to please your Lord?

That’s what we want to talk about in this chapter—what it’s going to take for you to be a man after God’s own heart, to be God’s man today…which will give you great momentum for being God’s man tomorrow. Look over these principles that others have followed in their quest for God’s gold., and let them help you, too.

The apostle Paul was an amazing guy. He truly modeled this principle of diligence. Even with his all-out life of ministry, he still had time to train many young men. One of those men was Timothy. We first meet Timothy in Acts 16:1. He’s a young man just entering the ministry. Then some 15 years later, we again meet up with Timothy, who by this time is the pastor of the church in Ephesus.

When Paul wrote to Timothy about his pastoral duties, he said, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed” (2 Timothy 2:15). In other words, Timothy was to make every effort—to give his all—to do his best. Why? So he wouldn’t have any cause to be ashamed…not before his mentor, Paul, but before God, the Person Timothy was really serving. Timothy was told to be diligent at what he was called to do—to preach and teach—so as not to shame the Lord.

Friend, God is asking you and me to develop this same heart of diligence and to be the best at whatever we do, too.

Over the years I’ve traveled to India 15 times for ministry. India is a fascinating and unique country with a great mass of people who need Jesus Christ. Because of my deep interest in India, my eye was drawn to this story that speaks of doing your best at whatever God calls you to do.

A missionary from India told about an army officer who stopped to have his shoes shined by a poor Indian boy on the street. The lad launched into his task with such enthusiasm and vigor that the man was utterly amazed. Instead of an ordinary, slipshod performance with an all-too-eagerly outstretched hand for a tip, the boy worked diligently until the leather sparkled with a brilliant luster.

“Well, sir,” was the reply, “last week Jesus came into my heart and now I belong to Him. Since then, every time I shine someone’s shoes, I keep thinking they’re His, so I do the very best I can. I want Him to be pleased!”

This young man demonstrated a desire to do his best. Is the same true of you? Are you willing to go so far as to shine shoes to the glory of God…or take out the trash or clean up your room and please the One who died in your place? Because of what Christ has done for you and me, how can we do less than give Him our best?

For eight years I worked as a pharmaceutical salesman. During that time, I participated in a management training program at the company’s corporate headquarters. In those meetings, we aspiring managers were put into specific sales situations and then asked to solve the problems. You can probably imagine the scene as each of us attempted to demonstrate to the bosses that we were superior management material!

While this training was hard work, it was needed. Everyone needs to learn to work with others to solve problems. And everyone needs to learn to assume leadership roles and be accountable when things go wrong. And those of us who are Christians should go a step further: We should not only seek to excel at all that we do and at all times, but we should also seek to be a servant as well. That may seem contradictory, but it can be done! As Christians, we are to approach everything we do in life as a servant, whether at home with parents, at school with friends and teachers today, or tomorrow as you get further training in school or enter the work world. And Jesus will give us the guidance we need in this matter of servanthood.

Looking to Jesus’ example—The Lord Jesus Himself modeled the kind of servant you and I—and every man after God’s own heart—ought to be. A week or so before His death, two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, asked for the best positions in the kingdom. Hear Jesus’ reply:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25-28).

Do you want to be great—in a good sense, that is? True excellence is not determined by being Number One, by being at the top. Jesus was the greatest leader of all time…and yet He was a servant to all.

Following Jesus’ example—How? By being a servant to the people around you. After all, serving others is one of the marks of a godly man. To become a servant…

—You can live with an attitude of taking from others whatever is needed for your own well-being. This attitude perceives other people—your parents, your teachers, your friends—as existing to serve you. Or…

—You can have the attitude that says, “What can I put into this relationship?” This better attitude—the attitude of a servant—seeks to promote others, to make their lives better. Contributing positively to the lives of others is the role of a servant.

Remember the epitaph on the scientist’s tombstone in chapter 1? “He Died Learning.” Well, friend, that should be our motto as well. You and I should die learning. Unfortunately, many young men have this backwards. Their motto is, “I would rather die than learn!” They dislike school of any kind and can’t wait for graduation so they can get on with “real life.” Or they exert only the minimum effort necessary to get by. And sadly, tomorrow they will wake up and have very limited career options because they’re not continuing to learn.

Now, I want to be quick to say that I know many a guy who has made it to the top levels of his profession or trade with a minimum of formal education. But if you look closely at these men, you’ll find that each one has continued his education—maybe not in a formal way, but informally. In other words, they have continued to learn, and that’s the reason for their great progress.

That’s what I mean by being a learner. Learning isn’t limited to schools and textbooks. No, learning has to do with ongoing development. I see learning this way:

Learn to read—Most men read very little…or not at all. In fact, surveys show that only about five percent of all Christian books are bought by men. Brother, if this is true, we are heading in the wrong direction when it comes to reading! Reading is the window to all learning. Reading exposes you to the entire globe and to the knowledge and experiences of others. Therefore, reading should become a passion for us!

When the godly men at my church started helping me in my desire to become a man after God’s own heart, I noticed they were always reading. Desiring to grow and wanting to follow in their footsteps, I asked for suggestions on what I should read. And you can do the same, too. Ask your youth leaders at church for a book list so you can begin your own journey in learning.

And don’t forget—the first book you want to read is the Bible. Read it a little at a time from cover to cover, over and over, for the rest of your life. (For help on this, you’ll want to see the reading schedule in the back of this book.)

Learn to ask questions—Everyone has something to teach you. So approach every person as your teacher. They are an expert on something. Find out what that something is, and then learn it from them. Make an effort to ask the questions that will expand your understanding of their knowledge.

Learn from the experiences of others—It’s been said that the person who depends upon his own experiences has very little material to work with. So, again, ask questions and seek to learn from the experiences of anyone who is willing to teach you. And, although you can’t pose questions of the great people of the past, you can read their biographies. You can learn from their successes, and you can learn to avoid their mistakes.

And, I repeat, don’t forget your Bible. The Bible is the best of all books for learning from the experiences of others. Just think how much we’ve already learned from the successes…and mistakes…of David! The Bible should be your primary textbook for life and for learning.

I pray you will never stop learning! And to ensure that you learn, you should do it every day. So, each day, ask yourself…

Are you grasping the importance of these years of your life right now? The habits and disciplines you acquire today and during the next few years will lay the foundation for the rest of your life. How can you turn your life into an extreme adventure? You can choose today—and every day—to make an effort to begin the adventure, to get onto the fast track, and to press for the prize…or you can choose to waste these critical years.

Today Matters is the title of a best-selling book. And I hope you believe it! To me, the truth of this title means:

• Today’s good attitudes will give you a greater desire for winning the prize tomorrow.

Obviously, there’s more—much more!—that could be said about pressing for the prize as you strive to be a man after God’s own heart. But for now, I’ll leave you with the words on the next page about becoming “a winner.”

A Winner respects those who are superior to him and tries to learn something from them; a Loser resents those who are superior and rationalizes their achievements.

A Winner says, “There should be a better way to do it”; a Loser says, “That’s the way it’s always been done here.”

A Winner shows he’s sorry by making up for it; a Loser says, “I’m sorry,” but does the same thing next time.

A Winner knows what to fight for and what to compromise on; a Loser compromises on what he shouldn’t, and fights for what isn’t worth fighting about.

A Winner works harder than a loser, and has more time; a Loser is always “too busy” to do what is necessary.

Tough Decisions for Today

Read again the story of the boy who shined shoes. What can you do today to exhibit a higher level of diligence?

List your acts of service during the past 24 hours. What do they reveal about your attitude as a servant? What can you do today to exhibit a higher level of service?

General Douglas MacArthur was a no-nonsense soldier who asked a lot of himself and of his men. This is what he said about life and learning:

Life is a lively process of becoming. If you haven’t added to your interests during the past year, if you are thinking the same thoughts, relating the same personal experiences, having the same predictable reactions—rigor mortis of the personality has set in.¹⁴

Look up rigor mortis in your dictionary and write out a definition. Then fill in the blanks on the epitaph below.

Here lies (your name)_____________.

He stopped learning at age (your age)____.

He died in ignorance these many years later.

After all you’ve discovered about diligence, servanthood, and learning, may this epitaph be yours as you seek to glorify God:

__________ (Your name) died learning…

for the glory of God!

List two or three things you can do—today—to start making this true of you.

The Cutting Edge

Present yourself to God as one…who correctly handles the word of truth.

—2 TIMOTHY 2:15

Read Genesis 39:1-6. Describe Joseph’s situation and how Potiphar rewarded Joseph’s diligence, excellence, and service.

Read Genesis 39:20-23. Describe Joseph’s new situation and how the warden rewarded his diligence, excellence, and service.

What verses show you the connection between God’s blessing and Joseph’s diligence?

What do these two episodes from Joseph’s life teach you about your own situation and your attitude toward your different duties?

What does Ecclesiastes 9:10 say on this subject?

What does Colossians 3:23 say on this subject?