Call of Duty

Grand Theft Auto. Halo. Call of Duty. Fortnite.

And with time there will be a surge of yet another popular video game series. One where kids and adults alike will watch endless hours of YouTube where some expert like Ninja, Myth, or Daequan create videos with commentary for their entourage of followers to know the hidden secrets and the lucrative smiles of accomplishing their online feats.

Consumers make purchases online and in stores for these games and add-ons to entertain themselves for nights on end. Hoping, wishing, they could find the same kind of notoriety and success as these online legends.

Or maybe it’s not the notoriety at all. Maybe it’s an escape from the wiles of reality. The dregs of school work. Fighting parents. Feeling like a social outcast.

Lest we think these games are only for kids, it’s for adults burned out on the 9 to 5. Unrealistic expectations at work. Overwhelmed by the responsibilities of adulthood. Those just needing some time to ‘check out’ on their own life and ride the coattail of someone else’s adventure.

But what does life really demand of us? What is our “call of duty?”

Growing up I wanted competition and adventure. That’s why we made trails and hideouts all through the woods. Capture the flag and hide-and-go-seek were some of my favorite memories with friends as a kid. We played ball and kept score. And taunted our cousins while playing tackle football in the backyard.

John Eldredge, in his book Wild at Heart, sums up the human experience by saying guys are really on a search for the following: a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. And to his point, there is certainly no argument from me. We search high and low for the adrenaline pumping rush of overcoming the odds of living out our own success story.

Every day is a constant search for navigating our journey toward fulfilling our real purpose in life. Some days it’s clear. And other days it’s blurry. Some days there are detours. And other days we look for shortcuts.

Every decision we make is linking our past and current location on the road map of our life. We’re dropping pins at every intersection to calculate the distance between every major setback and promotion.

What keeps me from getting lost is my GPS. It’s my survival guide in a world that’s constantly waging war on me getting where I’m supposed to be.

So, what is my GPS? Grace. Purpose. Security.

There’s something to be said for hard work and ability. But there are moments in life when we’re simply granted a gift. Something nice just falls in our lap. We didn’t earn it. We don’t deserve it. But it’s there. Ours. For the taking. Not in a shrewd way. Not with any sense of pride. Or with an ego. Hopefully with gratitude. Maybe it’s a gift of nature. From a friend. Perhaps our neighbor. A kind soul who doesn’t even know our name. But I’ll chalk it up to the providential hand of my Creator. And I’ll give the gift a name, Grace. And it’s this grace that gives guidance on this journey that really does muster more faith than we often prescribe in life.

One of the first books I remember reading to seriously bolster my faith was Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. The subtitle of the book is, “What on earth am I here for?” I think that is the one question society begs to have answered. What is my purpose? Is there more to life than education, family, career, finances, entertainment, and retirement? I believe answering that question drives the vehicle of our existence. And it’s in the answer to this question that we find substance and value in this life and the life to come.

“Are we there yet?” How many times has this question been asked by anxious faces staring out the side window of a station wagon. Or by a wandering mind staring at a tablet screen with headphones from the back seat of a more modern SUV. There’s something about the safe arrival to an otherwise risky and unknown venture that creates a deep sigh relief. For every man who managed to avoid stopping to ask for directions on a half day’s journey to some vacation getaway. Better yet, not once did he have to hear Siri’s annoying response of “Re-routing, re-routing” due to a missed turn because he was distracted by some billboard for the dog race track or BBQ several miles ahead.

Grace. Purpose. Security. Every person in the world wants to be the beneficiary of these elements of daily living. The recipient of good rewards we didn’t earn. Living in the confidence of fulfilling what we were created to do and be. Resting in the peace of knowing that all our loose ends will ultimately be tied up in knowing that our Creator has provided an eternally secure plan for our existence with Him beyond the corridors of this earth.

I don’t want to spend my life looking for an escape. Trying to hide. Trying to make a name for myself. Getting rich on the goods of this world. I’m confident that there’s more to life than this. That recognizing this life is a gift meant to be used to bring glory to my Creator and Savior. He’s giving good gifts as any good Father would. My life has meaning and purpose. And there’s security in that.