Jamie and I were talking with a group today here in the Middle East, and the word Permission kept coming up in our talk. It's almost like it was the message for the day. What would the world look like if you had the permission to just be you?
No more performing to be someone else.
No more intentional pressure to achieve something unachievable.
No more communities where "All Good" is the Motto. (we all know its not all good. its good, but come on. life needs a little flavor to keep from being boring.)
No more hiding from the real, honest, human way of living life.
What would it look like if someone handed you a hall pass to just be you?
I'll never forget the first time I met my good friend Wes Roberts. We were at a speaker's symposium, and I ran into this wonderful guy who was counseling like a pastor to the attendees of the event. It was really cool.
So if you can imagine, here you have a group of ego maniacs who think they have something to say to the world. Every one of them had some kind of DNA that drives them to be able to conquer the fear of getting in front of people and putting together a string of talks and points that might convince someone of their way of thinking.
We and I started talking, and he helped work through some of the old baggage I was carrying around, and I'll never forget when he looked at me and said, "God created you to be you. He wants You to be the best You, You can be. You don't have to be like ________."
Isn't that awesome?
I can feel free to be me in my own skin, and I don't have to compare myself to anyone else.
When we incorporate the permission to be us in a community of people who do the same, God can begin a synergy of love that might just show the world how much He loved us. (John 13:34-35)
I hope you have a GREAT Sunday, and on this next day of your lent Journey, spend some time knowing you have the permission to be just like God created you to be.
