photo by seasonswithsoul
An observation on our culture:
“I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose.”–Brene Brown, Daring Greatly
We live in a world that glorifies celebrity. And that spills over into our daily lives. That mentality tries to define us…
By how many Likes we get on facebook.
How many people notice what we do.
How many successes we can count in our day.
When that happens, what Brene Brown said so eloquently above becomes true: we fear being ordinary.
What if our life doesn’t matter?
What if we do doesn’t really count?
What if no one recognizes our efforts?
We panic and strive and end up exhausted. Human souls are not made to prove themselves.
And yet in the middle of it all, there’s One who calls us to a different standard.
Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very natureGod,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself. {Php 2:5-8}
Instead of fearing ordinary, Jesus embraced it. The one human being who could have walked into our world and instantly had fame, recognition and celebrity ran from it instead.
He chose a manger not a throne.
He spent 90% off his lifespan as a private carpenter and only 10% in public ministry.
He hung on a cross in a way that was even beyond ordinary, it was humiliating.
And because of that…
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name. {Php 2:9}
Don’t fear ordinary because in the Kingdom, it’s the only path to greatness.
Yes, God may call you to have a platform. Yes, you may find yourself in the spotlight sometimes. Yes, sometimes people may even say “extraordinary” to describe what you do.
And you will have God-sized dreams.
But here’s the freedom: you don’t have to strive. You can embrace where you are right here, right now and know that it is enough. You are enough.
Because the One who lives in you turns every bit of ordinary into holy, glorious ground.
