Geeks Know What it Means to Live For a Cause.

When it comes to the important stuff in life, Geeks know. We may not know that we know, but Geeks know. Throughout this series we’re going to explore what we Geeks know—or ought to know—and why it matters.

If Geeks know anything, we know what it means to live for a cause. What about you?

Geeks know what it means to live for a Cause

Geeks of all stripes are dialled in to causes.

Gaming Geeks know what it means to live for a cause. Video games usually involve a singular objective that drives all others: blow up the bad guys, or survive, or reach the end of the level, or find all the treasure, protect the hostage, or unlock the next weapon. The cause may or may not be noble, but a cause there is.

Book Geeks know what it means to live for a cause. Who wants to read a book about nothing? Seinfeld nothing-isms made for great half-hour comedy, but good fiction is driven by protagonists who want something and fight to get it. We worry about them in between the beginning and the end because we want them to succeed, to reach their goal.

Tech Geeks know what it means to live for a cause. The cause is to develop (or discover) ever more awesome technology that takes us places we’ve never been before.

Sports Geeks know what it means to live for a cause (Sports Geeks? Yeah. We call them jocks). It’s winning the game, and then stringing together enough wins to reach the playoffs or the tournament, and to win that. And then to win some more, and create a dynasty. Within that, there’s the whole statistics battle being waged. It’s a cause, pure and simple.

Movie Geeks know what it means to live for a cause. Don’t even get me started: Neo, Maximus, William Wallace, Luke, Kalel, Jerry Maguire, Professor X, Captain Kirk, Leonidas, Leia, Peter Parker, Jack Ryan… the list goes on. We love movies because our heroes get caught in causes worthy of risking their lives for.

What’s Your Cause?

As you try and figure that out, here are some things to consider:

1. You have a cause. We all do.
2. Not all causes are worth wrapping your life around. Some are “Big C” Causes and some are “Little C” causes. Some are  personal, some are cosmic. Some are good, some are evil.
3. Geeks know causes… in theory. But sometimes that’s where they stay. We love reading about, cheering for, or watching causes, but when it comes to living one… well…
4. Real causes cost us. The most important ones cost us most profoundly. A cause is a reason for living, a reason for giving, a reason to bleed, a priority that puts other things in their place—including our time, our energy, and our passion. A cause helps us say no to lesser things so we can say yes to greater things.
5. There are many great “smaller” causes (of varying importance): Lobbying for minorities, building a playground for your local school, helping your kid’s teacher understand your son so he has a greater chance for success in life, taking on big tobacco, helping Geeks and Faith Unite. There’s nothing wrong with these.
6. That said, there is just one, cosmic-level, over-arching Cause to rule them all. It’s God’s Kingdom Cause: “Operation rescue humanity from the clutches of evil and self destruction before its too late.” A really great introduction to that Cause and your place in it is found in John Eldredge’s book, “Epic.”  You can read a life-changing summary of that cause in Ephesians 2:1-10 from the Bible.
7. We’ll find ourselves engaged in many smaller causes throughout our lives, but unless (and until) we find our cause within God’s larger Cause, we’re still wasting our energy and spinning our wheels. Our smaller causes can become so all-consuming that we become blind to the larger Cause. When our smaller cause aligns with God’s larger Cause… BOOM, baby.
8. Sometimes we wake up and realize we’ve been pouring our lives into something unworthy of our blood, sweat, and tears. When that happens, we need to find the courage to put it down and live for something… and some One else.

Geeks Know Causes

If you’re a geek, you know what it means to live for a Cause. You’ve felt the rush of inspiration, been gripped with a sense of purpose, experienced the heart-pounding power of conviction and a desire to be and live and give more.

Don’t let that go. Ever. Inspiration is pure gold. Passion is powerful. That passion, combined with your character, will be your gift to the world.

Let’s just make sure God’s Cause gets our best energy. Let’s leave a legacy worthy of God’s unfolding Story.

What’s your cause? I want to hear about it below!