0.000000 6.000000 In this episode of Trustworthy, Mary Beth and I talk about that desire that we have inside
6.000000 9.320000 for greatness, for popularity, for power.
9.320000 11.240000 Why do we feel that way?
11.240000 12.840000 Is it a bad thing?
12.840000 17.000000 Stick around as we discuss this, and so much more.
17.000000 19.040000 Is God Trustworthy?
19.040000 23.560000 Hi, I'm Sarah, and I'm Mary Beth.
23.560000 28.760000 Join us as we seek to answer this question through whole-hearted conversation.
28.760000 33.360000 Discover the wit and wisdom that comes from being anchored in Christ and connected to
33.360000 34.960000 one another.
34.960000 43.120000 This is Trustworthy.
43.120000 54.480000 Well, hello there, Mary Beth.
54.480000 55.800000 Good morning, Sarah.
55.800000 56.800000 It's good to be back.
56.800000 60.240000 And a good morning to you, my friend.
60.240000 66.680000 And wherever you are, listener, whatever time it is, whatever day it is, it's a trustworthy
66.680000 67.680000 day.
67.680000 69.560000 And we are glad you joined us.
69.560000 71.720000 I have a question for you, Mary Beth.
71.720000 73.320000 Thought you might.
73.320000 76.360000 Have you ever wanted to be great?
76.360000 77.960000 Like Tony the Tiger?
77.960000 78.960000 Ooh.
78.960000 80.720000 We're great.
80.720000 82.720000 Or popular?
82.720000 83.720000 Of course.
83.720000 87.680000 It is a question I wonder if everybody feels like that.
87.680000 89.560000 You always want to belong.
89.560000 94.160000 But for sure, when I was growing up, I wanted to be in the popular crowd.
94.160000 95.920000 That was the goal socially.
95.920000 96.920000 Oh, yeah.
96.920000 101.720000 In high school, I was the least popular person in my class.
101.720000 104.760000 Ask anyone I went to school with and they will confirm that.
104.760000 112.600000 At some point, it became a matter of pride to make myself maybe I would use the word annoying.
112.600000 116.080000 But I certainly wanted people to like me.
116.080000 125.080000 I always have had this desire that someday I'll walk across the stage and all the haters
125.080000 132.920000 will be clapping and cheering for me and I will feel so justified that I've finally arrived.
132.920000 139.880000 Is this because you grew up with 80s teen films where the outcast became the hero at the
139.880000 140.880000 end of the movie?
140.880000 142.960000 Do you think that influenced you at all?
142.960000 143.960000 Oh.
143.960000 146.660000 Yeah, kind of like breakfast club.
146.660000 147.660000 Yes.
147.660000 149.660000 And say anything.
149.660000 151.160000 All the Brat Pack movies.
151.160000 153.320000 I feel like that was a common thread.
153.320000 154.320000 Yeah.
154.320000 155.320000 Because it is.
155.320000 157.160000 That's a whole teenager's feel I think sometimes.
157.160000 158.600000 Well, and everybody loves an underdog.
158.600000 159.600000 Right.
159.600000 165.000000 As an adult, what my definition of great is has probably changed.
165.000000 168.800000 I hope it has changed since I was 14 years old.
168.800000 175.800000 Do you think that desire to be great is still the same or has it shifted as you've had more
175.800000 176.800000 life experience?
176.800000 185.640000 It's an interesting question and it's core the desire to have power and influence, to have
185.640000 189.360000 people listen to me, to have people respect me.
189.360000 191.400000 I think that's the same.
191.400000 198.720000 But I believe it's been tempered by my spiritual maturity, laying down my desires, the
198.720000 204.160000 act of giving what I strive for to the Lord.
204.160000 205.680000 I think that's helped.
205.680000 207.240000 I'm still selfish.
207.240000 214.520000 And my motivations sometimes are very ugly, maybe I would say if they were examined.
214.520000 220.320000 But I think or I hope I pray that I'm more quick to let it go.
220.320000 221.320000 I don't know.
221.320000 222.320000 Yeah.
222.320000 223.320000 Take some examination.
223.320000 224.320000 It's all hard.
224.320000 225.320000 Yeah.
225.320000 226.320000 I hadn't really thought about that.
226.320000 227.320000 That's funny.
227.320000 230.440000 I'm ready to ask you this question 

and I flipped it on you.
230.440000 231.440000 You did, you did. 
232.440000 234.280000 But isn't that what this is about?
234.280000 236.480000 But here's another question for you, Mary Beth.
236.480000 243.960000 Is it bad to have those desires or the desires themselves bad or evil or whatever?
243.960000 249.800000 All of our desires point to our desire for God Himself.
249.800000 256.160000 My desire for beauty is a desire for beauty because God is beautiful and has created beauty.
256.160000 262.160000 My desire for love and relationship is because God is a God of love and relationship.
262.160000 268.880000 My desire for greatness is because God is perfect and great and all powerful.
268.880000 274.440000 If we're created in His image, we should desire the things that are like Him.
274.440000 279.400000 As I've gotten older, it's where am I placing those desires?
279.400000 289.420000 Where is my desire for significance and for purpose, that's kind of how I filter through the greatness
289.420000 290.420000 question.
290.420000 296.100000 That's what it looks like in my brain more is, does what I'm doing matter?
296.100000 298.400000 I think that makes sense to me.
298.400000 303.540000 We might better get used to the idea that not all of us is going to be special in the
303.540000 305.040000 world's eyes.
305.040000 306.040000 Right.
306.040000 312.720000 And many of us will live our entire lives and at the end of the day, maybe the only person
312.720000 316.560000 that's going to know our name is whoever's chiseling it into our headstone.
316.560000 317.560000 Yeah.
317.560000 324.000000 And in a couple of generations, will anyone know much of anything about us, right?
324.000000 331.360000 And there are people who God has used to do amazing things in the world and we should not
331.360000 338.000000 suppress or quelch, is that the word I'm looking for?
338.000000 340.520000 Squelch.
340.520000 344.480000 You can tell my vocabulary is not one of greatness today.
344.480000 349.600000 But there are callings that God puts on people's lives and quench, there you go, quench, but
349.600000 350.600000 that's like satisfy.
350.600000 353.800000 What is the word to like diminish or squelch, I think?
353.800000 354.800000 Okay.
354.800000 355.800000 We'll go with that one.
355.800000 356.800000 Let me grab the dictionary.
356.800000 357.800000 Okay.
357.800000 361.340000 As you grab the dictionary, my point was, there are people who God will do great.
361.340000 367.960000 Things through even in the eyes of the world, we should not be trying to push against that.
367.960000 380.320000 But for most of us, there can be a resistance to the common everyday faithfulness that the
380.320000 384.120000 world may not view as great or impressive.
384.120000 387.920000 Do you have a definition for us yet, Sarah?
387.920000 396.020000 Squelch, to suppress subdue, crush, to quel, and uprising, to quiet, alay, yeah.
396.020000 397.020000 All right.
397.020000 398.660000 And then quench to satisfy.
398.660000 402.460000 So quelch is not a word that I said, I just made that one up.
402.460000 404.060000 But I like it.
404.060000 407.740000 I feel like we could start our trustworthy lexicon.
407.740000 408.740000 That's right.
408.740000 413.560000 We'll submit it to be the word of the year and we will be great when we define the word
413.560000 414.560000 of the year.
414.560000 418.960000 Now in all fairness, I am using a dictionary that was published in 1995.
418.960000 421.160000 I don't think it's been added since then.
421.160000 423.260000 So quel, thank you, Sarah.
423.260000 424.260000 You're welcome.
424.260000 428.000000 We work well together, my dear.
428.000000 434.680000 Two not so great co-hosts, producing an awesome podcast.
434.680000 436.200000 We are more than the sum of our parts.
436.200000 437.200000 Yes, we are.
437.200000 442.880000 I want to hear your answer, though, to your question about, is that inward desire to achieve
442.880000 447.480000 greatness right or wrong or, okay or not okay?
447.480000 455.640000 And answer to that, my first thought is that we can surrender all of our desires and
455.640000 457.720000 all of our actions to the Lord.
457.720000 464.280000 In other words, when I wake up in the morning, I can say, here are some desires I have to achieve
464.280000 465.280000 greatness.
465.280000 468.800000 God, I place them at your feet, direct me and guide me.
468.800000 475.120000 And then if I'm pursuing a goal and the path seems to open up for me, it seems clear that
475.120000 477.040000 God wants me to pursue that.
477.040000 480.280000 I think that that's okay, and that's a good thing.
480.280000 485.920000 The other thing that comes to mind is that God uses people regardless of whether they
485.920000 488.580000 know Him or not.
488.580000 490.920000 This is evident in the world all around us.
490.920000 497.880000 We can have people acting in their own self-interest, which in turn affects positive change.
497.880000 502.760000 A small business owner, for example, just in our local Southern Chester County, you're
502.760000 510.320000 starting a small business, are you going to make a shoddy product to cut costs?
510.320000 516.560000 No, because no one will buy it or they'll buy it once and then they won't come back.
516.560000 522.400000 If the business owner is acting in their own interest, they will in turn serve the community
522.400000 528.280000 and increase their own profit by creating a positive change in the community.
528.280000 532.800000 And this is also the case for large companies that do philanthropy.
532.800000 539.200000 Yes, some companies and individuals are motivated by a desire to help.
539.200000 540.680000 That is true.
540.680000 547.780000 And some companies and individuals are motivated by optics, but people getting fed and clothed
547.780000 550.720000 in place to live, that's still a good thing.
550.720000 556.000000 I think you can get kind of complicated when you talk about motivations.
556.000000 562.800000 Well, maybe we should step back and talk about what we mean by greatness, because as we've
562.800000 571.680000 already kind of demonstrated in this conversation, it can mean different things in different scenarios.
571.680000 578.640000 There is the branch of it that is power, influence, money, and the world's eyes success.
578.640000 582.400000 Celebrity, whatever the world might say is greatness.
582.400000 590.340000 Nice car, nice wardrobe, Ivy League degree, influence, all those things.
590.340000 595.320000 What would be another way we could define greatness?
595.320000 600.200000 In contrast to that, would be greatness for God's kingdom.
600.200000 605.040000 And we have a good understanding of what the definition is of that.
605.040000 607.200000 You should not look to the interest of yourself.
607.200000 609.280000 Not only to your own interests.
609.280000 611.480000 Yes, to the interest of others.
611.480000 614.440000 You should store up for yourself treasures in heaven.
614.440000 618.160000 We're told that true religion is caring for the widows and orphans.
618.160000 625.640000 We do not have a faith of works, but works as a clear indication of where our faith is.
625.640000 631.480000 Greatness can be achieved by living a life, again, the title of the Eugene Peterson's book
631.480000 635.040000 is a long obedience in the same direction.
635.040000 640.320000 It's really a marathon, as the scriptures talk about, a race that we're running.
640.320000 643.640000 And that victor's crown doesn't come in this life.
643.640000 646.040000 It comes in the next life.
646.040000 652.760000 There is something to be said to about being kingdom builders in the here and now.
652.760000 656.640000 And we are called to do things with excellence.
656.640000 659.960000 God has given us minds and bodies to do things well.
659.960000 664.760000 We're not talking about not trying or being lazy.
664.760000 669.440000 I think what we're trying to get at is what is our end goal here?
669.440000 676.920000 Is the end goal our own reputation, achievements, how other people perceive us, or is the goal building
676.920000 680.040000 God's kingdom for His glory?
680.040000 685.200000 Also, sometimes we don't even know that the work that we're doing in this life has any
685.200000 686.200000 effect.
686.200000 692.160000 Right. Sometimes you hear stories about people that lived an entire life doing some work.
692.160000 698.800000 And then after they're passing, only then did that investment bear fruit.
698.800000 702.720000 And I think about how disheartening that might be.
702.720000 708.920000 But as I said in the beginning, we need to get used to the idea that we're not necessarily
708.920000 710.480000 going to be special.
710.480000 712.920000 We're not destined for greatness.
712.920000 715.400000 Paul sums this up pretty well.
715.400000 721.360000 And we've mentioned this earlier last season in our work episode, this reference.
721.360000 726.640000 In Romans, Paul talks about how God will use people for His purposes, and He addresses His
726.640000 729.160000 readers that might take issue with this.
729.160000 733.640000 So I'm going to read Romans 9, 19 to 21.
733.640000 738.720000 One of you will say to me, "Then why does God still blame us for who is able to resist
738.720000 739.720000 His will?
739.720000 744.040000 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?
744.040000 747.560000 So what is formed, say, to the one who formed it?
747.560000 749.960000 Why did you make me like this?
749.960000 756.320000 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay, some pottery for
756.320000 759.840000 special purposes and some for common use?"
759.840000 769.160000 So in that passage, Paul clearly says that is God's choice, how He intends to use us.
769.160000 776.680000 He's the one that made us, we are His people, and He may or may not have worldly greatness
776.680000 781.920000 planned for us, may not be His best use for us.
781.920000 789.760000 And yet we can still pursue kingdom greatness, not for our own glory, but for God's glory and
789.760000 793.320000 the benefit of those around us.
793.320000 797.800000 Back to your original question about desires, have you ever desired to be great?
797.800000 801.440000 Again, we have to examine why do we want these things?
801.440000 802.440000 What's our motivation?
802.440000 805.440000 Is it selfish gain or is it something else?
805.440000 808.880000 I think about my kids.
808.880000 813.120000 I want them to be great for the kingdom of God.
813.120000 817.920000 Don't tell them this now, but I could care less how well they do in school and other things.
817.920000 826.160000 I want them to do their best, but their success is not going to be defined by their grades
826.160000 830.400000 that they got in school or where they went to college or whatever that's going to be.
830.400000 836.400000 When they face the Lord, He's looking at Christ's righteousness, and then He gets to show them
836.400000 839.120000 the impact they had for the kingdom.
839.120000 845.240000 So greatness in the span of our life is not a bad thing.
845.240000 851.640000 It's just that like Sarah has been saying, "We might not see any fruit of it here while
851.640000 852.640000 we're on earth.
852.640000 855.960000 We might see very little bits and pieces, and that can get hard.
855.960000 861.080000 And that can feel like trudgery, drudgery my vocab is rough today.
861.080000 866.840000 But it can feel like you're on a treadmill and you're not getting anywhere or you're pushing
866.840000 869.800000 the stone up the hill and it's rolling back down and then you go back and you do it again
869.800000 872.800000 and you push the stone up the hill and it's rolling back down.
872.800000 879.280000 And our day to day, I would argue especially as females and moms sometimes can feel very
879.280000 883.800000 repetitive and very not great.
883.800000 891.360000 How do we approach what God has put on our plate, what God has put in front of us?
891.360000 894.640000 Not saying, "Oh, well, I'm not going to be great in the world."
894.640000 898.520000 So who cares about this laundry?
898.520000 900.360000 How do we switch it to?
900.360000 904.040000 "We're working to build the kingdom and whatever it is God has given us."
904.040000 906.960000 I was going to bring laundry up and then you did.
906.960000 907.960000 We always bring laundry up.
907.960000 908.960000 I wonder why?
908.960000 913.800000 Welcome to Trustworthy Podcast, aka The Laundry Podcast.
913.800000 917.280000 Maybe we should do a laundry episode.
917.280000 918.560000 Maybe I should just do my laundry.
918.560000 920.560000 I think that's the lesson.
920.560000 925.200000 I have a load of clean towels, they were in the dryer for a week, now they're in a basket.
925.200000 928.200000 I mean, hey, we're moving forward here, folks.
928.200000 929.640000 But how do we apply that, Sarah?
929.640000 935.000000 How do we live knowing that the world may never think we're great, but God has a different
935.000000 937.400000 purpose and a different thought about it.
937.400000 940.400000 How do we live that way?
940.400000 944.000000 There are a lot of scripture verses that speak to this.
944.000000 950.920000 I'm a big believer in vocation, feeling a calling or having a calling on your life to do
950.920000 953.360000 a job.
953.360000 955.960000 It could be being a mom.
955.960000 961.040000 It could be being a janitor, it could be being a bus driver, it could be a doctor, it could
961.040000 964.520000 be a lawyer, it could be a politician, it could be anything.
964.520000 972.720000 But having work to do that makes a difference in some small way gives us a sense of dignity
972.720000 973.720000 and purpose.
973.720000 978.280000 And that is God's desire for us, I believe that that's clear in scripture.
978.280000 985.960000 Sometimes we have to take a step back and take more of a bird's eye or macro view of
985.960000 994.200000 our life and look at the span of a week or a month or a year and say, okay, if I'm a mom
994.200000 999.920000 of small children, I got through another week of keeping tiny humans alive.
999.920000 1002.440000 Maybe the laundry's not done.
1002.440000 1008.440000 Maybe all these things, but at the end of the week, we made it, we got through it.
1008.440000 1020.240000 Maybe it's just the satisfaction of cleaning that bathroom again for the 795th time because
1020.240000 1023.400000 whoever is going to come in there, you never know.
1023.400000 1030.280000 Maybe they need a place to retreat from their work day or they're having a situation at
1030.280000 1034.800000 the table at their restaurant and they just need a quiet place to collect their thoughts
1034.800000 1040.240000 before they go back to the conversation or maybe person coming in takes it for granted.
1040.240000 1041.240000 I don't know.
1041.240000 1045.280000 I think I often take clean restrooms in public places for granted.
1045.280000 1049.120000 It's when they're dirty that I notice that's in a side.
1049.120000 1055.560000 However, understanding your role and taking pride in every part of your work for the glory
1055.560000 1061.640000 of God might be all there is and no one might ever know your name and it doesn't sound
1061.640000 1062.640000 very exciting.
1062.640000 1071.120000 I do think about people in my life who by the world's standards would not be considered
1071.120000 1079.760000 great or never famous when they're gone a lot of what they've said and done is gone, but
1079.760000 1086.320000 in my life they have been great influences for the kingdom.
1086.320000 1092.400000 We talk a lot in Christian circles about kind of these heroes of the faith that are mentioned
1092.400000 1097.920000 in Scripture, but there are a lot of unsung heroes in our own lives that we can probably
1097.920000 1103.440000 think about and point to that maybe give some flesh and bones to what we're talking about.
1103.440000 1108.800000 I wonder if we can talk about those people for maybe a few minutes.
1108.800000 1109.800000 Yeah.
1109.800000 1113.000000 At the risk of giving them worldly acclaim.
1113.000000 1116.360000 Yeah, that's a great idea, Mary Beth.
1116.360000 1121.880000 I had the privilege and joy of going to a Christian school from 4th grade through 12th
1121.880000 1129.040000 and one of the teachers there lived this out very well.
1129.040000 1135.320000 He was one of the Bible teachers at our school, so I had him often in middle school and high
1135.320000 1139.920000 school, not a lot of teachers to go around at the small school.
1139.920000 1144.440000 And while he did the normal Bible teacher things of we learned Scripture memory, we talked
1144.440000 1146.280000 about theology, all those things.
1146.280000 1154.560000 What sticks in my mind most about him is when I went to college, I started at a traditionally
1154.560000 1155.560000 Christian school.
1155.560000 1158.400000 I would not say it's a Christian school now, it's one of those that kind of started that
1158.400000 1159.400000 way but isn't anymore.
1159.400000 1164.080000 But we were required to take religion class, like one credit or something, and I was taking
1164.080000 1169.760000 an old Testament class and they were teaching in my view everything wrong.
1169.760000 1174.200000 And so I emailed my high school Bible teacher and I was like, look, this is what we just went
1174.200000 1179.400000 over in class today, this is why I think it's completely unbiblical.
1179.400000 1181.840000 And just kind of had this back and forth with him.
1181.840000 1187.240000 And just his one commitment to me, I wasn't a student there anymore.
1187.240000 1190.520000 He was invested more in the truth and in my life and when I was learning.
1190.520000 1196.760000 And really his response wasn't even, you're right there wrong, his response was, I'm so
1196.760000 1201.920000 glad that you're going to Scripture as a source of how you're evaluating this class.
1201.920000 1204.360000 He encouraged me to pray for my professor.
1204.360000 1208.800000 He encouraged me to have conversations with the professor humbly.
1208.800000 1215.480000 So it's these ways of really just discipling and living in a way that's not saying, you're
1215.480000 1219.600000 going to go in there and show that teacher that she's wrong and you're right and you know,
1219.600000 1221.320000 because you know your Bible.
1221.320000 1226.080000 It was his whole demeanor and I know that there are multiple students who continued relationships
1226.080000 1228.960000 with him after just for this guidance and counsel.
1228.960000 1235.840000 So I think of the ripple effect of those types of people in our lives that just gently quietly,
1235.840000 1239.040000 humbly lead us to live that way.
1239.040000 1240.040000 What about you?
1240.040000 1241.040000 Who comes to your mind?
1241.040000 1245.040000 There are a lot of teachers that's an easy one.
1245.040000 1252.840000 But I also think about person who had an impact on my life was the director for the Christian
1252.840000 1259.680000 summer camp that I spent 10 years every summer at, whether I attending or being a counselor
1259.680000 1261.800000 in training or a craft director.
1261.800000 1268.040000 And he trying to think how long he would have been there for a share 20 years at least.
1268.040000 1278.160000 He was a legend and he had been a missionary to various countries in South America like
1278.160000 1281.200000 before and after his time at the camp and during.
1281.200000 1286.640000 He was a school teacher, but in the summer he did the camp director thing.
1286.640000 1290.680000 And he remained single his whole life, I believe.
1290.680000 1297.680000 And he just had a heart and a passion over kids and things of the Lord.
1297.680000 1299.760000 He had a great sense of humor.
1299.760000 1302.200000 He played the guitar, he sang.
1302.200000 1306.280000 And I'll just always remember those campfire songs, he was there every summer.
1306.280000 1311.320000 And just his continued dedication to the camp, to the kids.
1311.320000 1315.680000 And as I grew up in that camp and again, you know, took on leadership roles in my later
1315.680000 1319.160000 high school years, that consistency.
1319.160000 1323.840000 And I just remember running into him, you know, years after and sort of recounting some
1323.840000 1331.680000 of the some of the good times and looking back on those times with joy.
1331.680000 1338.340000 And even being able to at this point in my life, pick out other kids that were there at the
1338.340000 1345.680000 time that I was and see how they've continued their relationship with God, how they are discipling
1345.680000 1353.320000 their own children, how they are working in the world for God's kingdom.
1353.320000 1360.560000 And thinking about all the thousands of kids who remember him and came through that camp.
1360.560000 1361.560000 That's my person.
1361.560000 1368.800000 There's someone else that came to mind for me and I mean, he is a successful business person.
1368.800000 1377.520000 But a large portion for he and his wife of their time is spent serving and getting to know
1377.520000 1378.520000 others.
1378.520000 1381.800000 And I think that's kind of the common thread of all these people that are coming to mind
1381.800000 1388.320000 is that they are others focused, they use service as highly valuable.
1388.320000 1395.100000 This man that I'm thinking of is, I mean, now probably almost 80 and he was very involved
1395.100000 1399.680000 with my church growing up in our school as a like on the board of the school.
1399.680000 1407.880000 And his ability to truly know people, I mean, I could go years without seeing him if I went
1407.880000 1411.840000 back home to visit and I was a church, he would come up, he knows where I'm working, he
1411.840000 1415.720000 knows what I'm doing, he knows all about my family so invested.
1415.720000 1422.360000 He has probably been to thousands of weddings and funerals because he is so connected to
1422.360000 1426.520000 people and truly cares about them as individuals.
1426.520000 1431.240000 And so I think of those common threads of what's similar about these people.
1431.240000 1440.120000 It is their service, their humility, and their real desire to know people and to have them
1440.120000 1441.120000 know the Lord.
1441.120000 1451.520000 It's really that simple, you know, yeah, I think of another person who is an amazing family
1451.520000 1452.520000 friend.
1452.520000 1459.200000 So I have extra insight that maybe outside people don't, amazing family friend and thinking
1459.200000 1466.160000 back for the probably 40 plus years that I've known her, wait a minute, did that just give
1466.160000 1467.160000 some indication?
1467.160000 1473.040000 I've known her for 10 years, y'all, 20 years, okay, anyway.
1473.040000 1482.120000 A long time, she has been a leader for a club which was kind of like in a wana or something
1482.120000 1489.160000 that our church growing up for young kids, has been a story reader with object lessons
1489.160000 1495.720000 every Sunday for children's church and she's been a bookkeeper for years.
1495.720000 1502.600000 She's been an employee of a local municipality.
1502.600000 1511.200000 She has always been the person to bring the food and to make the handcrafted item in a thoughtful
1511.200000 1512.200000 way.
1512.200000 1516.840000 Sending me throughout the years, various notes and cards and encouragement at different
1516.840000 1524.760000 times of my life, even though I don't see her as much and very quiet, very, unassuming so
1524.760000 1536.600000 to speak, but just a lifetime of behind the scenes, faithfulness and I know that my life
1536.600000 1543.600000 and my family's life and many others are so much greater, so much better for her.
1543.600000 1547.280000 Okay, I have a question for you, Mary Beth.
1547.280000 1549.080000 All right, another one.
1549.080000 1550.640000 Let's go.
1550.640000 1556.720000 You have dipped your toe into the political arena.
1556.720000 1561.200000 Did you ever desire for political power and greatness for yourself?
1561.200000 1564.160000 Oh, thought for a broken question.
1564.160000 1569.040000 Ask me that at different times in my life, I probably have given some different answers.
1569.040000 1575.880000 My initial goal in going to DC, I had big thoughts and dreams for myself, right?
1575.880000 1578.040000 My goal is to go and be the White House press secretary.
1578.040000 1579.400000 That's what I wanted to do.
1579.400000 1585.580000 But then God and His mercy allowed me to talk to people that are in that role, not press
1585.580000 1587.680000 secretary, but in the White House.
1587.680000 1592.760000 And I realized what that actually would look like and God showed to me that that's not what
1592.760000 1593.760000 I wanted.
1593.760000 1595.880000 I didn't really want to sell my soul that way.
1595.880000 1603.360000 And so there are times that I think God and His mercy has pulled me back from that lure of
1603.360000 1605.040000 power and influence.
1605.040000 1611.040000 I will say I love Washington, DC and you try your very best when you're living and working
1611.040000 1613.240000 there not to get jaded about it all.
1613.240000 1620.200000 And there is a very at least in my mind and the mind of many people that I knew and loved
1620.200000 1625.600000 there an easy distinction to make between those who are there for themselves and for
1625.600000 1631.360000 power and for greatness and those who are truly there to serve and to influence for good
1631.360000 1635.860000 and to build prosperity for communities and our nation.
1635.860000 1639.520000 So I would say it was probably a push and pull at different points.
1639.520000 1641.920000 Did I ever want to be an elected office?
1641.920000 1643.080000 Absolutely not.
1643.080000 1649.720000 I prefer pushing other people to the spotlight and that's kind of how my vocation was shaped
1649.720000 1650.720000 there.
1650.720000 1655.620000 There's something about going in that capital building and if you have access to things
1655.620000 1659.960000 that other people don't, you feel pretty self-importance sometimes.
1659.960000 1662.280000 There's a lure there for sure.
1662.280000 1668.900000 As a high school student sitting in the gallery watching congress in session that felt
1668.900000 1675.080000 pretty awesome having to go to my senator's office and get the pass go over and they can't
1675.080000 1676.440000 even get into the gallery anymore.
1676.440000 1677.440000 Yeah.
1677.440000 1678.440000 Oh, you can't.
1678.440000 1683.000000 I don't know if the process is still the same, but it's actually a really neat experience.
1683.000000 1687.200000 I'd encourage you listeners if you ever get the chance to do that.
1687.200000 1693.200000 But yeah, it felt pretty exciting to brush shoulders with why do we have such a passion?
1693.200000 1695.480000 Why do we have such desire for power?
1695.480000 1700.600000 I mean, is that, is it just sinful pride?
1700.600000 1705.200000 And as we were discussing earlier, is it necessarily a bad thing if it yields good results?
1705.200000 1709.440000 But wait a minute, I'm starting to sound Machiavellian.
1709.440000 1714.200000 I think that push and pull though is what we're all going to feel at different points in
1714.200000 1715.360000 our lives.
1715.360000 1721.240000 And so hopefully this conversation can help us get grounded again, right, in what truly
1721.240000 1722.240000 matters.
1722.240000 1729.320000 So all of the 25 listeners and not the 2.5 million listeners, like our friend Sarah mentioned,
1729.320000 1734.920000 I will say that I definitely have some prides surrounding this podcast.
1734.920000 1738.600000 It's a lot of work and it makes me feel a sense of accomplishment.
1738.600000 1741.000000 And I get to say, ooh, I'm a podcaster.
1741.000000 1744.400000 I guess I need to turn that over to the Lord.
1744.400000 1747.240000 He's trustworthy to handle those desires.
1747.240000 1749.240000 I think he is, you know.
1749.240000 1753.720000 Well, listeners, thanks for tuning in.
1753.720000 1759.640000 Regardless of whether you achieve greatness in this life, we look forward to celebrating
1759.640000 1761.240000 with you in the next.
1761.240000 1775.040000 Keep on keeping on.
1775.040000 1777.120000 Hey y'all, Mary Beth here.
1777.120000 1780.760000 Sarah and I are so glad that you chose to listen to our podcast.
1780.760000 1785.840000 And while we think that we're awesome friends to have, we just wanted to clarify that we are
1785.840000 1789.840000 not mental health professionals and want you to know that this podcast should not take
1789.840000 1792.740000 the place of any paid professional advice.