So What Are You Afraid Of?

All the kids loved Mr. Bob, before I was Pastor Bob, yeah that’s what I did, and that is how I got to be Pastor Bob. “Well, we think that’s great because we like it when you’re happy and animated.” Listen, if you can teach third graders, you can teach adults. I discovered that--it’s true--it’s true, but stay with me.

When I moved to Ft. Lauderdale and began to look for a John Doe job, I discovered that Channel 7 was looking for a host for a Saturday morning kids’ show that would air locally. So, because of the time I had spent as children’s pastor, “Mr. Bob,” I said to my wife, “This is perfect me. This is my perfect job. Wait till they find out Mr. Bob is in town.” I interviewed for the job and told them, “Hey, here’s what I’ve been doing. Here’s how I do it…” To which they said, “Well try this. Do this.” “I’m doing it.” Thinking that I’m nailing the interview/audition, they say, “No, we’re sorry, you’re not the right person.” I drove home defeated—unsuccessful. I’m a failure in the world. They don’t understand! I was so mad!

Hey, hey, hey, hey, did God want me to be Mr. Bob or Pastor Bob? What would have happened if I had gotten the job? Maybe I would have done so well at Mr. Bob; the show would have been syndicated. Maybe I would have been so good, I would have become nationally known--maybe I would have taken Bozo’s place and right now I have a whole row of exotic cars. I probably would be flying in a G-6 and I would not want anything to do with Calvary Chapel.

Many are the plans of a man’s heart… You say, “Bob, wait a minute, you’re telling the church this weekend that you’d rather be Mr. Bob than Pastor Bob?” No, no, no, see that’s the point, silver, gold are only treasures on earth. I have discovered how happy and how satisfied and content a man can be when he does what the Lord wants him to do. I don’t know what the Lord is calling you to do, but there’s no better place to be than where God wants you to be. So, if you feel like a failure at what you’ve tried to do, ask yourself the question, “Did God want me to do that?”

“Well, here’s what I hope to be.” Does He want you to be that? I would rather be and do what He wants because I’m not going to be satisfied with anything less. Yield to His path, desire His purpose because anything less than that, quite honestly, you’re going to miss it. You’re going to miss it and life won’t bring to you the satisfaction or the happiness or the joy that you thought you’d have.

So then you end up just miserable and mediocre and although it appears you are satisfied and happy, there’s this thing inside of your knower—you’ve got a knower inside of you and your knower says, “I know it’s not really what I thought, but here’s what happened...my parents said…, or you know, somebody said, ‘I should…’ and you know—you know.”