“Don’t Settle” By, Derek Natzke

Today we stop to recognize a true pioneer of modern technology. His creativeness and imagination was second-to-none. His attentiveness to detail changed peoples day-to-day lives. His creativity was evident in the iPod, iPhone and iPad, but he also gave us a glimpse into what kept him going in times of doubt and discouragement. Here is a quote from a commencement speech which he delivered at Stanford University in 2005:

“Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love, and that is as true for work as it is for you lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it, and like any great relationship it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don’t settle.”

Steve Jobs hits the nail on the head when he says, “Don’t settle.” Although you and I might have heard these words before, they never gets old. My encouragement is this: never become complacent in your love for serving teens. The work you are doing is great and you are transforming lives. God makes you great. Seek a relationship with Him because it just gets better and better as the years go on.

“What I Learned From Steve Jobs” By Eric Porteous

It was amazing how many times it came across my twitter feed, “RIP Steve Jobs.” This man, whose innovative ideas had transformed the world, had passed. Some people were saddened. Some reflected on his life. Most felt like they knew him, and for many, he was their hero.

To be honest, I was not one of those people. I use a Mac because that’s what Life Teen gave me to use. I have an iPod because I got it for free, and I have an iTunes account because it’s a legal and reliable place to download music. But I never really knew much about Steve Jobs. I’ve never really been into technology and all the nuances that come with it, so all I really knew about him was what others told me. Then in late August an announcement came that shocked many: “Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple.” Intrigued by this, I read a few articles, including his resignation letter, and learned one important lesson from Steve Jobs: humility.

Now, some of you may be shocked by this, and others may not be, but when this man who had revolutionized the world stepped down from his seat of power, do you know what he cared about most? Apple. When the whole world made it about him, he made it about something greater: his love and his passion. In his resignation letter Steve Jobs says, “I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.” Notice those words, “I would like to serve if the board sees fit.” He goes on to say later, “I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it.” This man, who was like a god to many, cared more about the future of the company than what happened to him.

Imagine if we treated our ministries like that.

Imagine if we not only sought to do great ministry now, but to ensure that, when our time was up, even better ministry would follow. Steve Jobs has left a legacy on this earth because he cared more about his cause than he did about himself. Do we feel the same way about our ministry? Is youth ministry about us or about something greater? Are we more concerned about how we look or about our love and passion to lead teenagers closer to Christ? Do we get caught up in our pride, or do we lead with humility?

So, rest in peace Steve Jobs. You gave us MacBooks, iPods, iPhones, iPads and more. You gave us Apple Care plans to protect our purchases. But, the most important lesson you taught us was that the best “care plan” is to lead with humility.