The Secret To Doing Something Big With Your Life - RELEVANT Magazine

30.07.
2015 The Secret to Doing Something Big With Your Life | RELEVANT Magazine
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The Secret to Doing Something Big With Your

Life
What to do when making rent is a bigger struggle than making a
difference.
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by PAUL ANGONE
Our lives are going to be big. We’ve always known it. But what happens when
your dreams of making a big difference or making a lot of money fail to happen?
For most of my twenties, my biggest dream was to write a book that

would encourage, inspire and speak to my generation. The only problem was I
couldn’t get a publisher to take a chance on it. Well, that, and I still didn’t exactly
know how to finish the book itself.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/secretdoingsomethingbigyourlife 1/14
30.07.2015 The Secret to Doing Something Big With Your Life | RELEVANT Magazine
So immersed in the ambiguity of adulthood as I struggled to become “all groan

up,” all the world’s problems I was so sure I was going to conquer quickly took a
backseat to my own.
Things like making rent became more important than making a difference. I
became bitter and frustrated at what felt like God’s clear lack of faithfulness and
my clear lack of ability. Every day I walked into my local coffee shop to write out
the answers to life while I felt like my own life was going nowhere.
If You Want to Do Something Big

Our generation has more options, more education, and more “potential” at our
disposal than any other in the history of humankind. We’re told from day one that
the world is ours. Instead of singing the ABCs in kindergarten, we were chanting,
“I can do anything, I can be anything.”
What if I walked around actually believing I have a specific

purpose for my life—to bring life to the world around me in
the every day?
But what happens when we feel like we’re doing nothing? What happens when all
the choices and options become the never-ending cereal aisle that we can never
leave? What happens to us then?
Drowning in options is a terrible way to die.
When it seemed like I was doing nothing, I was stuck, disappointed, and hurt by
my lack of talent and God’s lack of faithfulness. Instead of moving forward, I did
what I know how to do best. Complain. Moan. Punch my pillow and pout.
But why? One day, I realized my complaining didn’t make sense. I felt something
inside me begin to switch.
Enough! I told myself. Enough moaning. Enough adding to the world’s suffering
instead of trying to ease it. If you’re overwhelmed with asking what you want to do
with your life, remember that it’s a gift to even have the time and space to ask.
What if I walked around actually believing I have a specific purpose for my life—
to bring life to the world around me in the every day?
I’m not just talking about joining in the latest provocative social justice issue. Not
that I shouldn’t. Or that I shouldn’t still desire to impact the world. But it must
start simpler and more everyday than that. It’s not just about social justice. It’s
about being just in my daily social sphere.
You don’t join a cause. You live in one. Every day.
It doesn’t have to be monumental to be worthy of our effort.
It doesn’t have to be labeled “big” to be worth your time.
It
EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO FORGET ABOUT YOUR
“PROBLEMS” AND HELP THE WORLD WITH THEIRS.
doesn’t have to be social-media-worthy for you to take a picture.
Every single day you have the chance to forget about your “problems” and help
the world with theirs.
You can’t help humanity if you’ve forgotten how to be human.
God’s Faithfulness in the Small Things

Right now, right where you sit, if you feel like your big dreams and hopes aren’t
coming true, maybe God isn’t ignoring you. Maybe God is saving your life.
We cry out for a big calling, yet like a newborn colt trying to carry a huge load, the
big would’ve crushed us.
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Our generation wants to make a big impact, and that’s an amazing vision to have.
Yet, why do we think we’re going to bypass the years of training, refining,
loneliness, brokenness and failure it’s going to take to make it happen? It took me
10 years of re-writing, failing and starting over before my new book All Groan
Up became the real thing it needed to become.
We have to find meaning in the mundane before we can bring meaning anywhere
beyond. Maybe our big dreams need to die so that our true purpose can be born.
So yes, we have a big God who can do big things through us all.
But if you want to do something big, will you first have the courage and
perseverance to be faithful in the small?
This post was adapted from Paul Angone's new book All Groan Up: Searching For
Self, Faith, and a Freaking Job!
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TOP COMMENTS
1/6/2015 6:27 PM
24 +-
John Powell commented…
What this and other articles written about dreams (and the implied
disappointment with them) is that they lack a theological focus. They are
more worldly in their reasoning than biblical. The world falsely tells you
that you can do or be anything you want, that the options are limitless if
you will just go for it, and that you are your own determiner of success.
Biblical verses that you can do all things through Jesus who gives you
strength or that nothing is impossible with God are speaking differently
about our ability to do great things for God. In Paul's case it meant dealing
with suffering and lack of basic needs for life. There is a nod in the article
given to finding fulfillment in the small things, but it reads more like a
concession than a virtue. Mega churches, social media, large sale social
actions all make it seem like we can all live "big" and we get frustrated if
we can't. This has too much of a man-centeredness about it. I think we
need to do a soul check to see if we want God just for God, or if we want
God only when we are happy and fulfilled and if we feel like our life is
making a difference. God seems to think that you matter and that your
faithfulness to Him matters more than the rest. If we can't live from that
center, then we will remain anxious in our dreams, even the ones we want
to do for God.
2/6/2015 12:46 PM
5 +-
Amelie Schuh commented…
"We cry out for a big calling, yet like a newborn colt trying to carry a huge
load, the big would’ve crushed us."
Man, that's me! I love this picture so much, thank you! I've been feeling so
powerless and helpless because I just don't know what my REAL calling is,
the one gift that's bigger than all the others that God has given me. God
has spoken to me through your article that really we mustn't despise small
beginnings! Why should he use us only for the big things in life whereas
the small ones are just as important, if not even more significant? Thanks
for sharing your wisdom!!
10 COMMENTS
1/6/2015 6:27 PM
24 +-
John Powell commented…
What this and other articles written about dreams (and the implied
disappointment with them) is that they lack a theological focus. They are
more worldly in their reasoning than biblical. The world falsely tells you
that you can do or be anything you want, that the options are limitless if
you will just go for it, and that you are your own determiner of success.
Biblical verses that you can do all things through Jesus who gives you
strength or that nothing is impossible with God are speaking differently
about our ability to do great things for God. In Paul's case it meant dealing
with suffering and lack of basic needs for life. There is a nod in the article
given to finding fulfillment in the small things, but it reads more like a
concession than a virtue. Mega churches, social media, large sale social
actions all make it seem like we can all live "big" and we get frustrated if
we can't. This has too much of a man-centeredness about it. I think we
need to do a soul check to see if we want God just for God, or if we want
God only when we are happy and fulfilled and if we feel like our life is
making a difference. God seems to think that you matter and that your
faithfulness to Him matters more than the rest. If we can't live from that
center, then we will remain anxious in our dreams, even the ones we want
to do for God.
6/6/2015 1:56 PM
0 +-
Ross replied to John Powell's comment…
You don't need to make a big song and dance about how
spiritual you are by adding as many scriptural references as you
can. I notice you didn't, even though you are attacking the author
for not doing that. If you don't understand what need that the
author is writing to (and are probably a different demographic
than the one written for) then why are you here making
comments that this isn't good enough, yet doing nothing to
address this problem you have "identified?"
7/13/2015 1:31 PM
0 +-
Aaron Scantlen replied to Ross's comment…
I think you might be reading this article with a bias because of

other people who use Phil. 4:13 out of context, which is
understandable because there are LOTS of people who think
Philippians 4:13 means that they can achieve their wildest
dreams because they have Jesus. But I do not see that at all in
this article.
Here is my take on what Paul wrote. Don't expect to be sent to
China as a missionary if you aren't reaching your friends and
neighbors for Christ. Don't expect to read a children's book you
wrote at Barnes & Noble if you haven't volunteered to go to a
local elementary school and read it for the kids. And don't expect
to bring water to all of Africa with your new organization if you
aren't already working with the many people already helping to
solve the problem.
SHOW MORE
2/6/2015 12:46 PM
5 +-
Amelie Schuh commented…
"We cry out for a big calling, yet like a newborn colt trying to carry a huge
load, the big would’ve crushed us."
Man, that's me! I love this picture so much, thank you! I've been feeling so
powerless and helpless because I just don't know what my REAL calling is,
the one gift that's bigger than all the others that God has given me. God
has spoken to me through your article that really we mustn't despise small
beginnings! Why should he use us only for the big things in life whereas
the small ones are just as important, if not even more significant? Thanks
for sharing your wisdom!!
3/6/2015 2:27 AM
1 +-
Paul Angone replied to Amelie Schuh's comment…
Thank you Amelie for the encouragement in return! Yep I write a

lot in my new book All Groan Up about "small beginnings" and
how they are crucial to doing anything "big".
Pursuing our calling isn't mythical, it's methodic. Keep taking
faithful steps forward and the way will continue to open as you
hone and own the ingredients that go into your unique
"Signature Sauce".
3/6/2015 2:51 PM
0 +-
Amelie Schuh replied to Paul Angone's comment…
Amen - we have to keep moving and step out in faith, God does
only steer moving ships, right?! I think it's also crucial to serve
God with whatever and not just wait on Him to tell us THE
purpose for our life...It's so encouraging to go on this website
and see that there are other people who have struggled with
"mid-twenty stuff"...God bless!
2/6/2015 3:21 PM
0 +-
Jim Jacobs commented…
Thank you for a superb article. Recently our young adult group spent
several months studying Matt Perman's wonderful book "What's Best
Next". His phrase "gospel-driven productivity" strongly anchors the every-
day, the "small", and the seemingly mundane squarely in the context of
living the grandest mission of loving God and loving others. Your essay
here resonates well with the call to be can become who God has called to
you be by living daily life the way He has called you to live. Check out
http:// www . whatsbestnext . com for some nice online resources as well
as more about Perman's book.
2/6/2015 9:21 PM
2 +-
Sara commented…
"You can’t help humanity if you’ve forgotten how to be human." Love this.
Thank you, Paul. For words of wisdom again and again. I needed to hear
this today. It helped me to remember that "being faithful in the small
things" is more important than pursuing the BIG things, and may actually
lead to doing BIG things for God. Thanks for speaking in such human
terms. I am really glad that you are not a writer who feels the need to
sprinkle bible verses and stories everywhere to please the religious, but
you take real Christian truths and dissect them into relatable experiences
that bring hope and encouragement to others like myself. As always,
grateful for these words, and please continue to inspire and ignite
revolutionary hope within this generation. Oh and thank you Relevant!
Twentysomethings may not be attending church, but they are sure as heck
reading Relevant for articles like these.
3/6/2015 2:29 AM
1 +-
Paul Angone replied to Sara's comment…
Thank you Sara! I love reading encouraging comments like this.

Thank you for your authenticity and call to keep speaking life
and hope to others. I'll keep writing and I hope you'll keep
commenting :)
6/6/2015 1:59 PM
0 +-
Ross commented…
So you've managed in a small article (without Bible verses) to put your

finger on something that I haven't been able to by studying for a few
years?
How did you do that? :P
Thanks Paul. Keep it up :)
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30.07.

The Secret to Doing Something Big With Your

For most of my twenties, my biggest dream was to write a book that

So immersed in the ambiguity of adulthood as I struggled to become “all groan

If You Want to Do Something Big

What if I walked around actually believing I have a specific

Drowning in options is a terrible way to die.

You don’t join a cause. You live in one. Every day.

It doesn’t have to be monumental to be worthy of our effort.

It doesn’t have to be labeled “big” to be worth your time.

doesn’t have to be social-media-worthy for you to take a picture.

You can’t help humanity if you’ve forgotten how to be human.

God’s Faithfulness in the Small Things

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> 8-year-old Boy Gets World’s First Double Hand Transplant

I think you might be reading this article with a bias because of

Thank you Amelie for the encouragement in return! Yep I write a

Thank you Sara! I love reading encouraging comments like this.

So you've managed in a small article (without Bible verses) to put your

Please log in or register to comment

VIEW THE ISSUE

' MOST POPULAR EDITOR'S PICKS

11 Keith Green Songs That Changed Worship Music

3 Ways to Answer Your Christian-Critical Friends

The 8 Most Annoying Habits of Modern Dating

WATCH & LISTEN

PODCAST THE DROP RTV

Episode 452: Tim Chaddick

VIEW MORE EPISODES >

RELEVANT THIS WEEK

INSIDE THE MAGAZINE

The Rebirth of Joy Williams

The 8 Most Annoying Habits of Modern Dating

The Traits of Innovative Leaders

] See more in this issue

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