Excuse Me While I Live My Life

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For many of us, we go through life aimlessly trying to make it. The distractions, though not necessarily wrong, are so constant, we can easily lose sight of our goals. Whether it’s trying to pay the bills, or playing catch up with the Joneses, we tend to miss the point of life.

I was talking with a neighbor the other day. He is an artist. Some years ago, he had decided to leave the corporate world, sell his house and pursue his dream. He told me he had to forget the job, forget the things that most people strive for (like new televisions, cars, homes, etc.) and go out on a limb. He told me the things around him began to distract him from living life. Now, while most of us could/should never consider quitting our jobs, his passion is inspiring.

Many of those around us have come to see success as the gathering of things. However, isn’t it possible that success is defined by something much more meaningful? Isn’t is possible that success is defined by how we live our lives. You can live in a low to middle class neighborhood and still be successful. You can ride the bus and still be successful. Success is not defined by the stuff you have, it’s defined by what you do with what you have.

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green…” Psalm 92:12-14

Success is defined by how you live life. Success is growing strong, flourishing, bearing fruit, and staying fresh and green, no matter what circumstances you face. Don’t let your surroundings define you. Live life to its fullest every day, on purpose.

Now say this with me, “Excuse me while I live my life!”

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Just Around the Corner

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Big things are in store. Big things are just around the corner. But they don’t just happen. We must prepare be ready for them.

In the Bible, Joseph became second in command over all Egypt. It didn’t just happen, it took a lifetime of preparation. It took him making the right choices and living in a way that was conducive to the lifestyle that was just around the corner. His family thought he was crazy. People around him thought he was crazy and just a dreamer. But, when the Pharoah put him in position, then it all seemed to happen overnight.

We have dreams. We have a gut feeling that something big is coming. But, if don’t get ready for it, when it comes, we won’t know what to do with it. I have many friends in the acting industry. I was talking with one of them the other day and he told me, before the Oscars finally came and the big roles were the norm, he would imagine himself in that role. He said he would practice being humble and kind to fans, before he even had any. When he finally became “famous”, he rolled right into it like it was second hat. He was ready and was able to humbly accept his new lifestyle.

Before your big thing even comes, begin to act the role now. Dress the part. Prepare your heart and keep your focus. Hold on to the dream, no matter what others tell you. And when it finally comes, be grateful and help others reach their dreams as well.

Joseph, once he was in position, ended up helping his family. He ended up helping his people. He didn’t turn his back on them just because they didn’t believe in him. He forgave them and provided a better way for them. He was able to serve others in the new position, because he had served others when he was in jail.

CHALLENGE: What can you do now, to ensure that you can handle what’s just around the corner? Write  down your dream and start dressing the part now.

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Labels

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It’s a part of life. We seek to label others, whether for organizational purposes or purely out of jealousy. That person is young, old, black, white, rich, poor, divorced, single, ugly, pretty, a good mom, a scary person, a loser, a world shaker. It is part of our human nature to see someone for the first time and attempt to define them.

This is useful at times, but can become devastatingly destructive as well. I shared a story at The Study last Tuesday about a kid I knew in grade school who wet his pants…once. When he got to middle school the stigma stuck and so on through high school. At our 20 year reunion, he had become a doctor and in most of the world’s eyes, very successful, but when he entered the party, some alumni in the corner whispered “hey look who it is, the kid who wets his pants.”

Rahab was labeled a prostitute because, well, she was one. She was’nt labeled a mom concerned for her family or courageous women who helped the Hebrew spies. Even much later in Hebrew 11, she is listed as a person of great faith, but still referred to as Rahab the prostitute.

We all have been labeled by others. Sometimes we even label ourselves. Just because you had a baby at 16 doesn’t mean you can’t live a great life as a mother. Just because you ended up in a divorce doesn’t mean you’re destined to live a lonely destitute life. Just because you are a felon, doesn’t mean you have to stay in that mindset forever.

David failed. He lusted after Bathsheba, slept with her, had her husband killed to cover her pregnancy up. But he also, after being confronted, acknowledged his path and returned to a life of following God. Later, the writer of Acts recalls what God said about David, “a man whose heart beats to my heart.”

I’ve shared over the years, the story of Diane. She had extreme learning difficulties and would walk by my house most days at around the same time. We eventually became friends and she would share about her work putting spoons, forks and knives into  a small plastic bag. I worked with her and always encouraged her about how great she was doing, even telling her that if she saved up her money, she could eventually have enough to go to Disneyland. Her family quickly noticed her change in demeanor. She was no longer being labeled “handicapped” or insignificant, she was being labeled a hard worker and a dear friend.

We have the power to shift someone’s life…both positively and negatively. We have to power to build up or destroy. How are we talking to our kids? How do we talk to our spouse? How do we talk about ourselves?

I CHALLENGE YOU

Remove all the negative and limiting labels that have been placed on you and rise up to be the person you were created to be. Watch what words we put on others. Begin to speak life to others and speak life to ourselves.

 

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It’s Still All About Love

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HomelessIn my thirty plus years of speaking and walking people through miraculous encounters with a God who cares for them, no matter who they are or where they have come from, I have realized a few things. I’ve traveled to sixty-six different countries and have had the opportunity to sit and talk with people from various classes and cultures…from billionaires to the homeless. My belief in God’s hope is not grounded merely on something I’ve read, but in the lives I see across the world every day.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” Saint Augustine

We all kind of want the same thing. As unique as the world’s cultures are, if you speak to English millionaires, Irish farmers, impoverished Islanders, Nigerian fishermen and Swedish university students, in their own languages, you start to see that we are all very much alike.

We all experience setbacks and failures. We all seem to have the simple desire to feel loved, experience happiness, find a sense of security, be affirmed, and hold on to a hope of something greater.

It is interesting how people pray across the world and in different circumstances they are facing. In the United States, I hear a lot of prayers concerning new employment or a new husband or even more money. In parts of Africa, I hear a lot of prayers about health and protection. In areas that were recently affected by a natural disaster, I heard a lot of prayer for food, electricity and sustainability. In Europe, I heard the prayers for vision and hope. Across the globe, we all are reaching out to God for different needs and desires…things we deem necessary. We all desire love.

“We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go.” Hebrews 6:18

As large as the world is, it becomes very small when you begin to understand that our neighbors are not just the people living next door, but the farmers in Thailand, the singers in Nashville, the homeless in Los Angeles, the Club Owner in Miami, the Chef in London and the young soccer player in South Africa. We are all neighbors. When we were persuaded to love God and Love our Neighbor, we stepped into something bigger than we may have ever realized. We stepped into a world view that connects all of us to one simple truth…we all have the ability, no matter our resources, to embrace AND distribute love.

How will you embrace and distribute love today? Will you let class or culture separate you from being persuaded to Love God and Love others?

 

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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