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The Great Do-Over: If You Could Do It All Again, What Would You Do Differently?

by | 52 comments

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I recently read a fascinating article in Christianity Today in which Billy Graham was asked, “If you could, would you go back and do anything differently?” It’s the classic do-over question.

His response is flavored with rich wisdom, “Yes, of course. I’d spend more time at home with my family, and I’d study more and preach less. I wouldn’t have taken so many speaking engagements, including some of the things I did over the years that I probably didn’t really need to do-weddings and funerals and building dedications, things like that. Whenever I counsel someone who feels called to be an evangelist, I always urge them to guard their time and not feel like they have to do everything.

I also would have steered clear of politics. I’m grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; people in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn’t do that now.”

I love Graham’s response. “Guard (your) time. (Don’t) feel like (you) have to do everything.”

A few years ago, one of the guys I mentored asked me if I had it all over to do again in my writing career what I would do differently. I said, “Rather invest all my energy in writing for religious publications, I would have focused my attention on writing for secular publications and spreading the Good News that way.”

What’s amazing is that the guy took my do-over to heart. Today he’s published in everything from the Washington Post to the Huffington Post to CNN.com and I couldn’t be more proud.

May we learn from each other’s do-overs. And for those of us in ministry, may we all learn from Billy Graham’s.

What would your great do-over in life, ministry, or parenting be?

52 Comments

  1. Christian
    Christian on February 7, 2011 at 10:37 am

    Not sure I’d take a do-over. Are there things/decisions that in hindsight don’t seem to be as great as they seemed at the time? Sure.

    I think that everything, and I mean everything, good, bad, and ugly, that happens to us has an effect on who we are. If we change any of those, then wouldn’t we change ourselves?

    The kicker is… could we guarantee that we’d have changed for the better?

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