Hurtgen: Who are you becoming?

This past weekend, among the myriads of sports broadcasters celebrating and bemoaning plays and players, one anchor said something that captured my attention. He said evaluating one athlete, “He has to decide what kind of player he wants to become.”

Instead of touting statistics, criticizing their misgivings, or showering them with praise, the anchor focused on the necessity of shaping his future self. His successful athletic career hinged on determining who he wanted to become.

There is a man named Joshua in the Old Testament. Joshua had an inspiring trajectory. A leader in espionage, a war leader, mentored by one of the greatest men in history, and he was publicly appointed to be Moses’ successor. Yet when we come to chapter one of the book that bear his name, he is commanded four times in just a few verses by the Lord to, “be strong and courageous.”

Joshua received this instruction because he was neither. He was fearful and feeble. The people would not follow someone on an unknown quest who lacked conviction and courage. In this moment Joshua had to determine the type of person he was going to become.

Navigating the unknown requires crafting an aspirational vision of who you want to be paired with daily actions that move you toward being that person. Joshua could not be courageous without acting courageously. He could not be strong without acting strong..

If you want to become a person of courage, take small, terrifying steps. Go to a restaurant and ask the waiter to bring you their favorite item from the menu. Talk to a stranger. Ask a group of people you don’t know if you can eat lunch with them. If you want to be adventurous, act with adventure. Bike to work, go for a walk in the rain, take an ice bath. Conduct a set of experiments that get you comfortable being uncomfortable.

Navigate the unknown by envisioning who you would like to become. Press back against the lie that says “this is who you are and this is all you will ever be.” Joshua would always live under the shadow of Moses if he did not in his own accord act with strength and courage. Joshua had to learn to navigate the unknown by determining the type of person he was going to become despite the person he felt like now.

Robert Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more of him at robhurtgen.wordpress.com.