Playing Large

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (a quote mistakenly attributed to Nelson Mandela in his inaugural address, but instead was written by Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love, p 188-189.)

This isn't the first I've read this quote nor will it be the last. Each and every time I read it, I'm convicted and stirred by it, but I've just never taken the time to consider why exactly it does. It amazes me that I've always thought it best to shrink back, to downplay certain aspects of myself so others wouldn't be insecure. But I'm finally seeing and realizing more that most of my life is lived in fear, particularly fear of what others think. Could it be that God shines His light through a confident me, rather than a shrinking away me? I wonder how many of us play small because we think that's more holy and acceptable. Traditionally I think many of us have been taught that humility means glorifying our weaknesses so we don't upset anyone else's strengths. Yes, there is a place (an important, rudimentary place) for humility, but there is also a confidence that feeds true humility. It's a confidence that comes from knowing glory rests inside us like a gift. If God has given us such an amazing gift as light, power, joy and a renewed, redeemed life, why do I/we hide like His gifts are things to be ashamed of? Glory, God's glory, resides in my heart. I don't know about you, but I'm stirred to play large. Playing small is living a tentative, fearful life, and personally I'd rather play large, risk being misunderstood, so that more glory for Him will flow out of me, not less.

The Real Thing...

"The life of faith should be the easy part. So much of the Church is Martha, when Jesus praised Mary."

I read this quote the other day and it really caused me to stop and consider the burdens I/we needlessly and sometimes mindlessly carry. Christ’s yoke IS easy and His burden light. But living the consumerist, suburban, Christianized lifestyle that we call "normal" is actually what’s hard. Could it be we don’t understand the easy yoke because we've never shouldered it? Instead we see the genuine yoke as too difficult, while we take on the faux version and then fool ourselves into thinking it’s the light, real thing.

Holding it together...

Imagine a morning where the sun didn't rise, birds stopped singing, rivers ceased to flow, grass stopped growing, flowers never bloomed, rain never fell and stars stopped twinkling, even on a clear, moonless night. Any one of these things would turn our world upside down, yet God, in his infinite wisdom, holds it all together.

Thank God today for something obvious that normally escapes your notice. Something huge. Something we rely on every day but would fall apart without it. This is God's nature, to maintain the world we live in; He's the one holding it all together, thankfully.

Hidden Talent...

On a winter afternoon Harry de Leyer returned from an auction with a big gray horse that his children named “Snowman.” He was a good riding horse, but when a neighbor offered Harry twice the amount he had paid for Snowman, Harry agreed. But he soon regretted his decision as did Snowman. And that’s when Snowman’s hidden talent showed up! The neighbor’s fences were high, but Snowman repeatedly jumped them to be with Harry and his family. So Harry decided to buy Snowman back - and the rest is history. Snowman kept winning championships until the ultimate dream, The National at Madison Square Garden, where he was named “Horse of the Year” two years running. Snowman was a jumper, but nobody would have known had it not been for the fences that separated Snowman from Harry. And Snowman had every reason to be grateful, because Harry had arrived late at the auction that day after the best horses were sold. The big gray gelding that became Snowman was rescued from the only other bidder…a man who intended him for the glue factory.

I just love this story and the fact that it's true makes it all the more amazing! The Psalmist said, “The Lord…redeems your life from destruction.” (Psalm 103:2-4) Amen for that truth! When others write you off, God sees what you can become. Andrew Bonar said: “Kept by the mighty power of God…every day we escape dangers we’re not aware of…if we…saw the snares the enemy lays for us…how we’d adore the Lord who enables us to escape them all.”

Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Reading this book (Forgotten God) probably won’t be easy. No matter what tradition you come from, you likely carry baggage and harbor stereotypes when it comes to the Holy Spirit. It’s going to require laying aside your baggage and stereotypes so you can be open to what God is trying to teach you. Are you willing to do that? ~ Francis Chan

What Crazy Love does to challenge Christians to rise out of comfortable and lukewarm faith, Forgotten God does to upend Christians’ agenda for keeping the Holy Spirit tame and in-check. Throughout the book’s 7 chapters, I found myself making frequent stops to, literally, do a double-take, re-reading a paragraph or point and high-lighting it, or diving for my bible.

By the end of the book, I left Forgotten God with more desire, and more places exposed. This is not a spiritual self-help book, instead I think it's a ‘discover more about God’ book that, if approached honestly and openly, will result in a deeper understanding, a deeper relationship with God the Holy Spirit. I highly recommend this book!!

Here's a great take away quote:
Nowhere in scripture do I see “balanced life with a little bit of God added in” as an ideal for us to emulate. Yet when I look at our churches this is exactly what I see: a lot of people who have added Jesus to their lives. People who have in a sense asked Him to join them on their life journey and follow them wherever they feel they should go, rather than following Him as we are commanded. The God of the universe is not something we can just add to our lives and keep on as we did before. The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is not someone we can just call on when we want a little extra power in our lives. Jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us, He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true Life.

Same Kind of Different As Me

Being alike doesn’t mean we agree; it means the stuff by which we disagree is the same. This is important because we need to see that as different as we may appear superficially, deeper down, we have much in common with everyone, and when you encounter someone who is different, it would be good to celebrate both those differences and the stuff that makes us all the same. Because, at the core, we all belong to God. There's a book entitled Same Kind of Different As Me that totally captures the way in which we are different and very much alike. I highly recommend it!!! http://www.amazon.com/Same-Kind-Different-Modern-Day-International/dp/084991910X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267054235&sr=1-1

Use words only if necessary...

The Gospel is waiting. It's waiting not to be spoken, but to be lived. The Gospel is waiting to be believed and to be put to use in your life and mine. It's not just a static message; it's a living, breathing testimony. The Gospel needs much more than paper to be printed on; it needs a life it can imprint.

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:1-2).

The success of the Gospel today doesn't depend on how attractively it's packaged, but on how honestly real Christians are living out their lives in the world. It's not just the Gospel that does it. It's not just a message. It's the Gospel in you and in me. Nothing needs to be done to the Gospel except to be lived. In other words..."Preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words."