Common isn’t Working for You

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Let’s be honest…common or ordinary isn’t working for you. It never worked for me. I was never able to truly fit in anywhere. I was always a little different. I had dreams and aspirations. I saw things a little different than my friends and family.

I mean, I wasn’t completely ostracized or left out, but I just always felt like I was unique. The more dreamers I’ve talked to throughout my life, the more I realized that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. I quickly realized that all of us are unique, yet most of us choose to stifle that part of our make up and eagerly pursue commonality.

influenceWhy do you want to be common when we were created so unique?

Self-esteem plays a large part in dictating how we fit into society. If we don’t value ourselves and feel as though we aren’t worthy of being part of society, then we will stop at nothing to do what we can to fit in. We buy expensive cars, wear the latest fashions, get involved in relationships that are not productive, and live a life that produces stress and anxiety.

In the book of Genesis, we are told that God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature.” This is an amazing concept. God is uniquely abstract. God has so many facets and as humans, we were created to reflect the many facets of God. We are each unique, however we are each created to reflect a different perspective on the greatness of God.

When we ignore our unique reflection and push to “fit in”, we are robbing, not only ourselves, but society as a whole. We are robbing them of experiencing God in a new way…through you. To quote Dr. Suess, “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you”.

So who are you? What does “you” look like buried beneath the piles of cars, HD tvs, iPads, expensive clothes and makeup? It takes courage to dig deep and find out who you really are…who you were created to be. It takes perseverance. It takes patience.

Jesus refers to the Shema (V’ahavta) in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and adds that we must love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In this, he teaches that loving ourselves is in direct correlation to the act of loving others. This inward love and outward expression are paralleled to loving God. They are what is referred to as Gezerah Shawah or similar laws/verdicts.

You see, being uniquely you, loving yourself…who you were created to be, has more importance than just being happy. It brings clarity, love and community and speaks louder than anything you could ever say or do. The closer you get to be uniquely you, the closer you get to reflecting God’s love to the world.

So stop being so common and embrace being you.

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Synagogue…CHANGE in Assembly

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In ancient time, every town where early Jews resided there was a synagogue. The word Synagogue translated means ‘assembly.’ It was often made up of a large prayer hall, an ark holding the Torah scrolls, with other rooms that would enable study and socializing. It was the place where early Jews would gather together to pray, to study, to converse, to talk about what God was doing and what God will do. It was the place where one brought their children, where learning was held in high regard, discussion and knowledge were facilitated and protected. Ideas could be thrown out, worked on, and shared. Wisdom could be communicated freely to all those who listened and participated. The synagogue was the place where a Jew would encounter God and encounter others. Prayer and teaching walked side by side with debate and dialogue. It was the place where the spirit of God dwelled, where the righteous (the sincere) could find a space to grow.

The synagogue is a center, where a different kind of conversation could happen, a conversation that was not obstructed or hindered by the forces of the outside world. It was unique in that the ideas spoken about were not abstract concepts that only existed in the minds of the ideal, but rather the words of a story. It spoke of a people, a community, who met God and because they did, became his people. They knew this God through his instruction of a different way of living. One defined by love, sincerity, neighborliness, and care for fellow-man. In a world full of empires, war, poverty, and corruption it was the synagogue that stood as a light in a dark world.

In life, it is never the powerful that change the course of human history. Rather, it is when communities of people decide that their lives must be elevated, lived differently, lived better. It is when communities gather in assemblies and join in conversation, shared wisdom and knowledge. It is when those conversations instill in us a sense of a higher purpose, a vocation to change things, to transform the world around us. Change materializes when people decide that there is something more, that the life of the possible becomes the new standard. It lives and breathes in the bodies and aspirations of those groups of people who have decided that there is another way forward.

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Being a Father

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With Father’s Day coming up, it always gets me thinking. I wonder sometimes if I’ve been a good father. I love my kids, but I know I’ve spent a lot of time on the road helping other people. My father, I imagine, had similar thoughts…working at Bethlehem Steel all day and then getting home exhausted. He made the best of the limited time he had during the day to make sure we felt loved.

Here’s a few things I’ve learned along the way:

1. Never forget to be obvious. Don’t assume that your family knows you love them…tell them.

2. They need your time. They need to go for walks, vacations, ballgames, and even the mall. For me, making time for my kids is not always the easiest thing, but it is by far one of the most important.

3. Listen to your kid’s joys and hurts. Paying attention is sometimes the most valuable thing we can do. They don’t just need us to be physically present…they need us emotionally available.

4. Like my friend, Duane “Dog” Chapman‘s book says, “Where Mercy is Shown, Mercy is Given“. Show your kids mercy. They will mess up, but so will you and teaching them to show mercy comes from showing them mercy first.

5. And above all I’ve learned that children need our unconditional love-when they succeed and when they make mistakes; when life is easy and life is hard.

These are lessons that I don’t always get right, but I continue to learn and grow and be the father I know my kids need.

I love my kids.

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Our Deepest Fear…

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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, 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 are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make 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’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

It is true…sometimes we sabotage our own success. Stepping into your destiny doesn’t just bring liberation to you…it liberates others. I’ve said it for years, someone is waiting for you on the other side of your obedience. So what are you waiting for?

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The Miracle Mentality

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Sometimes in life you find yourself at a place where no rational plan of action will seem to help. What do you do? Whether you are still without employment, divorced, broke, sick or simply having a really, really bad month…learning to live beyond your circumstances will change your outlook on community, life and God. I like to refer to this as the Miracle Mentality.

What is a miracle? A miracle is a supernatural intervention from God into the natural affairs of mankind. It is something that is uncommon, not the norm, a wonder, a marvel, or something astonishing. We have heard of miracles in the past…we may have even experienced one in our own life, however sometimes we lose light of God’s immeasurable power and abilities.

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20 MSG

How can you have a Miracle Mentality? Mentality is defined as a capacity, point of view, mindset, outlook, attitude, disposition and a reasoning. Changing your understanding of the size and scope of God’s power, skills and qualifications is key. The more you choose to accept this, the more your outlook will reflect, through trust, His immeasurable ability to make do the impossible in your life.

Let’s look as Moses for example. He made a decision one day that could have stopped him from being who he was created to be and stopped him from eventually leading God’s children out of Egypt and into their promise.

“Time passed. Moses grew up. One day he went and saw his brothers, saw all that hard labor. Then he saw an Egyptian hit a Hebrew—one of his relatives! He looked this way and then that; when he realized there was no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.” Exodus 2:11 MSG

After wandering in the desert for some time, he had decidedly lost hope and began to live his life according to his failures. Shortly after, God confronted him and revealed the task that would make him famous (Exodus 3). He had three choices. He could sit. He could settle. Or, he could cooperate. Moses chose to cooperate with God by bringing his limitations, his frustrations and his intimidation. God brought three things as well…understanding, compassion and power.

Moses had to first believe in God’s power and ability to do miracles. Secondly, he had to expect God to do the impossible. Third, he had to receive God’s miraculous power in his own life. Fourth, he chose to become a miracle to others by living a life that surpassed his circumstances. Fifth, he had to choose to release that same power that had encompassed his life into the lives of those around him.

Throughout history, God has called shaky people to do sturdy projects. Moses, a shaky person, was about to become sturdy and lead captive people into a promised land.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MIRACLES?

VISIT THE SCHOOL OF MIRACLES

www.theschoolofmiracles.org

 

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