Square Pegs...Round Holes

There are times in our lives when we might each feel like we just don't fit in.

At times I feel like this...(feeling a bit like that right now really)

The picture above is a great illustration of what it means when you do push too hard to fit in...cracks appear, and it becomes uncomfortable for you, as well as the mold you are attempting to fit into.

I am guessing we have all felt that from time to time....

It doesn't matter how hard you try, you can push and squeeze all you want, you just don't fit the mold.

I have been thinking about this a lot today, and it has caused me to consider what does one do when you just don't fit, no matter how hard you try.

I reckon it comes down to the why.... why are we trying to fit in, when we may have been called to stand out.

Funny....

Nevertheless, it hurts like crazy at times to be the one left out, because you don't quite fit in.... but where would the world be if we were all the same, if we all just towed the line..... if we just lived our lives to please others when God called us to live for Him and stand for Him even if it means an awkward life that has cracks around it.

The other thing about this, for me at least, and maybe you, is that my own self perception, you know the way I see myself, is often very different to the ways in which others see me.   

People form opinions about us that may be correct, and just also may be incorrect.

How would they really know anyway, without a relationship with you personally.

So here's my take on this... as a Christian Leader... it poses a few questions....

What does God say ?  

What did He call you to ? 

What did He call me to ?

Am I doing what He called me to do ?

If I am not doing it, what can I change to align myself with His will for my life ?

Am I trying to please other humans ? or to please God ?

Am I looking for the applause of others or the smile of Jesus ?

depending on how we answer those questions will determine whether we are creating cracks around us because we don't actually fit in ... or whether we slip in nicely to the environment we are in and its all smooth sailing.

here's a thought: from the old book....

Psalm 139

1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.      2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.      3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.       4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.       5 You hem me in behind and before,and you lay your hand upon me.      6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.    7 Where can I go from your Spirit?      Where can I flee from your presence?      8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there, if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.     9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,    10 even there your hand will guide me,  your right hand will hold me fast.       11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”      12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.      13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.    14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.         15 My frame was not hidden from you  when I was made in the secret place,  when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.      16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.      17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! How vast is the sum of them!        18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.       19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.      23 Search me, God, and know my heart,test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting.

Of course we are able to twist scripture to suit us... but the truth is still the truth... round peg, square peg or whatever we find ourselves looking like these days, we need to live out our lives as God intended for us, for me,  even if it means we feel like we don't fit in anymore.

Just my thoughts about life today for me. 

(maybe for you also)

You don't have to agree.. however, the truth is the truth.

The Saturdays roll around so fast these days... it is all a bit of a blur, the days blend into each other and in many ways it feels like time seems to be moving faster than it used to.

(please remember these are my thoughts about life and my opinions only...they don't reflect upon who I work for etc... )

My big fears these days centre around lost opportunity and complacency.... watching what is happening around me, looking at people who seem to thrive and others who are distraught.

Organizations that are crumbling and others doing incredibly well. It’s interesting to observe.

For me .... I feel like my life has been refining and being renewed and I am well aware that not for everyone it has been like that, but I really do think its a  choice. 

I decided to make a choice a number of weeks ago that I would use this time to tidy a few things up in my life... my goals... my habits...my room...my spirit and that’s what has happened, and I am feeling more confident about who I am personally these days... and I have a clearer view of my life...there is clarity about my calling and what God originally called me to be and do, and even though there have been humans around me that have stunted that at times, and yes I have allowed that to happen...stupidly, but nevertheless the clarity has returned to me... and I am fully aware of why I do what I do and why I am who I am.

In many ways I have allowed others to shape my calling and in some ways lost my way, thinking my life was more about human tradition or pleasing other humans more than Godly design for my life.

That needs to change and it wont make me popular, well not with other people at least...  but God has my undivided attention and even if that puts me at odds with other people ...so be it.

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt the only way forward was to please the people around you ? Above you ?  next to you ?   And they put a knife in your back anyway ?  

Life has a habit of dishing up that kind of stuff, people get side swiped and overlooked and forgotten and there are times when it feels like as long as you are a “yes” person, doing what everyone else expects or asks of you, then that is fine and that is where you find meaning. ??

Well God didn’t ask that of me.... 

I remember a long time ago when I sensed God calling me and an opportunity came up for me to go and serve, then folks within the church called me a traitor...for leaving them etc....and that hurt hugely, however, nevertheless, God ministered deep within my heart and mind and things were fine...over time God has a habit of making all things new.

What am I getting at... ?

When this is all over, this COvid thing, life may go back to some kind of normal .... even if it is a new normal, but who will I be in that ?    Who will you be in that ?  

I don't want to go back to the old ways, I want my life to remain in this new “tidied” up state.

I don’t really want to be a people pleaser, I want to be a God pleaser, and that might put me at odds with those around me.

I have experienced too much now for me to return to the old ways that have lost their oomph and meaning... I don’t want to just go through the motions and look the part, ....NOPE.

I want the supernatural power of God flowing through my veins, coming out of mouth, causing my heart to pump and my mind to be sharp.

Not everyone wants this and recognizing that can be hard.... and at times it has been hard for me...to see that not everyone wants Jesus active in their hearts.  Some are seemingly comfortable with just having a historical a view of Him.  Not me thanks.

I want the relationship with Him stronger than it has ever been and even stronger still.

I have a way to go.

The truth is... Jesus came, he was born as a baby lived His life as a man, grew up and died for our sins, and then rose again and sent His Holy Spirit to His followers and offers that freedom and new life to all humans on the planet still.

I choose Him.

I choose Him over every man made “thing”.

Even though I get to enjoy life these days with created things, strip it all away and only He remains for me.

I look around me at times and see people making life about what it wasn’t meant to be made about. 

In the church, It is not about us looking good. It is not about performance to each other. It is not about the applause of others. It is not how nice I look, or tidy my clothing is.  It is not about the fancy lights, or quality of the online streaming, or the size of my waistline.  It is not about the big divide in society that we see....

Let me tell you what it is all about (in my view)

It is all about Jesus Christ being honoured in my life, in our gatherings, online or otherwise, and out of that honour and priority, everything else flows. And everything else finds its way and meaning. 

People who are hurting and marginalized and abandoned, people who have been side swiped and forgotten and hurt and damaged .... people who society has overlooked, well they find love and acceptance and mercy as Christians share Christ with them.  

Thats what I was called to do and be. A Jesus man. 

And if it is about performances...then It is about performing to an audience of one. 

And only ever one.  

Jesus.

we must speak about Him more.... we must lift Him up higher, we must always have Him on our lips before everything and anything else.

And in the words of John....of the Bible.

He must become greater and I must become less.

The picture above...see’s a man standing out in the crowd, worshipping without fear, criticism or shame.... thats who I want to be...  unashamedly full on for Jesus.

Who do you want to be ?

Audacious... Gutsy.... Faith Filled.... gonna be a bit vulnerable here !

I got thinking what would it really mean to pray big ?

Does it mean shouting your prayers ? Screaming out in faith from the rooftops of our homes ? Or standing on a mountain and shouting out the prayer and awaiting an echo to capture it ?

For my mind, being audacious in prayer means praying a risky prayer....  praying for a person to be saved, praying for a situation to be resolved, praying for something that might look impossible to human eyes, understanding that God is not limited in His power and ability.

Christian faith rises when the answers come, even in ways we don't expect them to be answered.

Have you ever documented your answers ?......

I think its good to remind yourself of what God has done, so that you might have more faith to ask for even greater things, more audaciously.

God has been so faithful to me over the years... ( this is the vulnerable bit.. for a few reasons, there will be some who will criticize and doubt these truths, but I guarantee you...this all happened as I state)

Here are a few of the answers that have come my way, our way as we have prayed...

• The time He delivered a young girl in our youth group from a demon. Right before our eyes, 10 of us.
• The time He healed my daughter right in front of us, miraculously as our Corps Officers prayed over her.
• The time He allowed me to speak in a language I didn’t understand, as Praise and Glory filled my car as I drove home.
• The time He visited my lounge room while I prayed, the supernatural tangible presence of mercy and love and grace.
• The time He removed a damaging presence from our church, as we had prayed for a change and God gave us that change.... in fact that has happened a few times, and in a few of our churches over the years.
• The time He saved a person in our church after we had prayed and preached. The strangest thing though, this person couldn’t speak English or understand English, but got saved anyway and it was super special to watch as supernatural power took over this guys life.
• Then there were times when we went to pray in the high places over our community and discovered a witches coven, and we destroyed it with Gods love and grace and power, The times when our whole church committed to Christ after we had prayed, the times when supernatural power flowed in the room when our leaders prayed...

I am sure you get it...

It’s been a super big ride as a Christian leader over these past 30 something years. 24 years as an Officer and 8 years before that as a youth pastor.

Yes its true that I have also had times when I have not seen answers to my prayers, as I would have hoped... and some of those times I am still praying for.  And I am still believing for the answers to come.

So here is the bottom line truth, for me, maybe for you too....

Why pray small ?  Why wouldn’t you go to God with the huge asks ? The big risky requests ?  What do we have to lose by asking ?

What  do we have to gain ?   

Faith is what we gain !!!  Strength and spiritual muscle and growth in our witness and belief.

There is a lot to gain by praying big.

Just saying.

Soooooooooooooooooo.......

Go and pray.... huge big audacious prayers, and watch God do the supernatural in your life, that what you think is impossible.... is VERY possible for our God.

He is an awesome God.

And write it down and remember our Mighty God..... remember His goodness and love and mercy and grace...for He saved us when we were lost.  

The biggest answer of all.

Video Blog... Crazy times...But God is still speaking to His Kids.

Saturday Morning Blog..this time a video Blog.  There is a lot going on around us, one of the worst things that could happen for us, is to miss what God is saying to us individually and corporately.  These are just my thoughts for May 2nd.  How quickly the weeks roll around, even when locked down at home.

Click here : ( on the blue link below )


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a7-q7tsr4A


Thanks for taking the time this morning to check it all out.