I have been pondering the following conversation and could use some company.
Cineas: “The Romans are reported to be great warriors and conquerors of many nations. If God permits us to overcome them, how shall we use our victory?”
Pyrrhus: “That is an easy question. Once we conquer the Romans, there will not be any city in all of Italy that will resist us.”
Cineas: “Once we have Italy, what next?”
Pyrrhus: “Sicily, and then Carthage and Africa would then be within our reach, and once we have them, who in the world would dare to oppose us?”
Cineas: “No one, certainly. And then what shall we do?”
Pyrrhus: “Then, my dear Cineas, we will relax, and drink all day, and amuse ourselves with pleasant conversation.”
Cineas: “What prevents us from doing that now? We already have enough to make that possible with any more hard work, suffering, and danger.”
(Conversation between King Pyrrhus of the Greek city-state Epirus, and his chief ambassador, as the king prepared to sail to Italy, 280 BC.)1
What prevents us from doing that now?
Dreams, ambitions, desires, plans, and hopes are something we all have; yet, how often are they fulfilled? What keeps them…rather, what prevents us from doing that which is within us to do?
Do you know what I mean? What are some of those things you have always wanted to do but which have yet to be done? It might seem like something grand, or we could rationalize it away as something insignificant.
The truth is its vastness (or seeming lack thereof) is second to its need for accomplishment. Why? Because it is something in you to do. As followers of Jesus, I believe He has something to do with those desires in us (cf. Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 12:3; Ephesians 4:7). That alone makes it huge.
I understand life’s responsibilities—how the time and energy those obligations require may delay a hope or a dream.
Delay is one thing; extinguishing is altogether different.
Thus, I need company in pondering.
So, what prevents us?
Better yet, is it time for any of them to be done?
