1 Thessalonians 2:4 - For we speak
as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose
is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.
It took me 44 years, but I've finally done it. I’m cool. I always wanted to be cool. When I was a kid, I used to watch the TV show “Happy
Days” and idolize the character Arthur Fonzarelli (AKA Fonzie or the Fonz). I was only five or six-years-old, but I
wanted to be like the Fonz. Fonzie was the
epitome of cool. Looking back now, it seems
silly. He had greasy hair, wore a white undershirt and a black leather
jacket, and his “office” was in the men’s bathroom of Arnold’s Diner. How in the world would anyone in real life
think that was cool? But somehow Fonzie was cool. He could start the jukebox with the bang of his
fist and snap his fingers and two beautiful girls would magically
appear beside him. I wanted to be cool like
Fonzie my whole life.
In high school, my friends and I tried to be cool. We dressed the way we thought cool people
should dress and tried to hang out with the cool crowd. But deep inside, I knew we weren't cool. I’ve never had fashion sense; I’m socially
awkward and shy. Cool didn’t working for
me. I needed a new plan.
I resigned myself to just being ordinary. I focused on my school work and went on to college thinking, “I will get a good job and make lots of money and maybe that
will make me cool.” Then, God laughed
and called me into what the world might say is the most “uncool” career possible
(and certainly not very lucrative): Christian ministry as a pastor of a mainline
church. (As Fonzie would say, “Ayyyyyyyy!”)
Maybe it took parenting teenage children to make me cool. It’s enlightening to listen to teenagers
talk about cool fashions and say things like, “You're too old to wear those shoes.” And it’s revealing to see some ridiculous fashions
from yesteryear suddenly become cool again.
Last year, my family harassed me for being a lame dad who wore Crocs
with socks. Last week, I was in a trendy
restaurant and the fashionable waiter was wearing Crocs with white socks. I pointed it out to my wife and she said, “Yeah. It’s the cool style now.” Really? Who decides this stuff?
I’m didn't become cool because I took anyone’s fashion advice. It happened because I finally realized I just
don't care what people think about me anymore. That’s actually the definition of cool. I mean, look at the Fonz; he didn’t care. He dressed how he wanted, talked how he wanted,
lived how he wanted. Nobody told him how
to be cool. Cool people don’t worry
about all that lame stuff. If they set
any trends, it’s because they’re not trying.
They’re just living who they are. That’s why people think they’re cool and try
to copy them. (Ironically, trying to copy someone who's cool automatically make
you uncool.)
So I guess I've just reached a point in my life where
I really don't care what people think about me. I care about the people, but not about their
opinion of me. I care what God thinks; I
think it’s cool to walk with Him and seek His will for my life. Now I'm not
saying I don't care about people’s advice.
I want to be the best person I can be and sometimes feedback helps me be
a better father, husband, pastor, or friend. However, I'm not trying to make anyone think
I'm cool.
I've already spent too much time in my life trying to please
people. Walking with Jesus—the coolest
person I’ve ever met—helps me worry less and less about pleasing people. I'm 44-years-old and I feel pretty cool. You might not think so, but I don't care. Sorry, not sorry. That's why I'm cool. You can copy me if you want. I don't care about that either. I'm not trying to be like anyone or be
different than anyone. I'm an original creation
by the One True God of the universe. There’s
no one else like me and that’s incredibly cool. Guess what: you are too. Of course, I’m no expert and I
certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can
tell…
Remember, God loves you and
so do I!
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