One of the What IF Dads who taught me this concept, “Eliminate the Unnecessary”, is Mark Baber. Mark was the director of the Baptist Student Union my freshman year at Ouachita Baptist University. 

He encouraged students to seek God’s plan. That type of life led him to serve as a missionary in South Africa. It led me there as a student. 

During this time I was able to compete with Mark in one of the most exciting events known as the Comrades Marathon. This was of the most grueling experiences of my life and I do not believe I would have made the timeline for a medal had it not been for Mark’s encouragement.

I took a few days to recover and stayed with Mark and his family. During this time I was able to talk with him about his decision to leave so much behind and go to another continent as part of pursuing purpose with his amazing wife and kids. 

He reminded me that if you filter out all the distractions offered by the world, you can see more of what God is calling you to do. 

I use his wisdom and ask the same question to my own son as he seeks to obtain his position in life. I encourage him to filter out the unnecessary. If my son seeks to serve God first, I know he will be OK.