Extraordinary People :: Remarkable Feats

Growing up, I was always passionate about my relationship with Christ and my faith. I was super involved in my youth group. I think I was at church almost as much as I was at school. I loved it. It was so fulfilling to me. BUT there came a point where although my faith and relationship with Christ was growing, but I didn't want to show it. NOT because I was ashamed to call myself a Christian but because of the 'view' I had of a 'GOOD Christian'... I think everyone has their own, but as a whole, I think John Bevere nails it when he says,

Hollywood, religious people, and our culture had painted for me a warped and limited image of God's people. (John Bevere, Extraordinary p. 4)

Amen, John! That's the reason I never wanted to truly live my life pleasing God. I considered the 'Godly people' to be boring, judgmental, boring, no fun, shy, boring... and did I say BORING?! And to top it off... Christian women. Well, let's see what I thought about them... boring, unfashionable, boring, shy, reserved, boring, (what's the word for unable to speak up or speak their mind?), boring... and BORING. Geez... no wonder so many people are turned off to Christianity. If a teenager (me) who loves Christ (at this age, I could have been radical and changing the world because of the amounts of people and friends I encountered everyday) doesn't want to live a Christian life, then I guess I see now why I didn't either. I didn't want to be a 'bible-thumper.'

Ok... so anyone who knows me knows I am the opposite of boring. I HATE being bored. My friends would probably describe me as outgoing, fun, busy, energetic, involved, responsible, honest, some-what fashionable, active, friendly and open-minded. I think that's pretty much the exact opposite of my view of a 'Godly person.' Sooo... in my head, as I'm growing up, I'm thinking, "Wow. To be a Christian, I've got to change my whole lifestyle. And be what I hate most: BORED."

NO! I had it all wrong! Along with the millions of people who have been brain-washed by our culture to think that the 'Christian Lifestyle' has to be boring.

Bevere starts his first chapter of Extraordinary like this:

Extraordinary. Just hearing this amazing word arouses the desire to surpass the norm, to break away from the status quo. Its definition is "beyond what is usual, exceeding the common measure." One-word synonyms include remarkable, amazing, marvelous and unimaginable. To better understand the full meaning of this word, consider its antonyms: common, normal, and usual." (p. 2)

Well there ya go! Need I say more? I want to be those fabulous things! NOT normal! God has put a desire in each of us to rise above commonness and yearn for the extraordinary (p. 2). He talks about how some of the most loved popular films have extraordinary heroes with powers who do remarkable feats and live exceptional lives. He says, "Why? Because 'extraordinary' is how we were created to live. It was God's plan from the beginning." (p. 2)

Now back to bible-thumping. I don't want to be thought of as judgmental and ignorant. If God (who is perfect in all ways) loves EVERY single person then that is the only way I should live. God didn't go around beating people over the head with a bible (o wait... the bible as we know it didn't exist then)! Neither should we. No need to be judgmental. That's not our job. Actually, I've been very convicted lately about this and those who judge will be judged one day. I've been on both sides: the 'judger' and 'jedgee' (I'm pretty sure those aren't even real words). No one is perfect, but God is. And he is love. And that's the only way he treated people: with love.I yearn to have a heart like his and see the good and potential in all. He has equipped all people with the potential to be extraordinary! Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone was living out their extraordinary potential!? Wow. Bevere says:

God not only desires you to live extraordinarily but also has equipped you to do so. (p. 4)

Geez... how can I announce that to every teenager struggling with identity issues, young people wondering through life with no aim, and even our leaders who have been put in positions by God but have lost their focus?! These instances is what Satan is best at... influencing the minds of people and uses his army of 'fallen angels and demons to carry out his grand strategy (p. 5)'. What Bevere writes after this hits me hard:

Because what he [Satan] fears most is Christians discovering who God's made them to be -- extraordinary people with abilities to carry out remarkable and unusual feats. (p. 5)

The thought of me carrying out remarkable feats is quite scary, but awesome! God has laid out a purpose for each of us. EACH of us has a purpose and we should seek Him and keep our focus on Him. Our goals should be to please Him. While we strive for that, He will guide us on the path we should be focused on. I believe the more focused we are on Him, the more he will begin to use us to fill our extraordinary potential. This doesn't mean that we are all going to be world rulers. God has extraordinary plans for us no matter what profession we are in or where we are in life. A 15 year old can be just as extraordinary in their high school as a government leader or even a stay-at-home mom. Satan tries to tell us to settle where we are and not push forward with the goals and dreams God has given us.

I am so thankful that God has told me recently that He has big and extraordinary plans for me. It's a crazy concept but I'm constantly being reminded of it the closer I grow to Christ. I want to know Him as a father, ruler and a friend. I know that as I focus on Him and aim at the potential He has put on my life and follow the dreams He has given me (NOT my own dreams), the path will be carved for me will lay out in front of me.

Jesus, daddy, I am just so thankful for the words you give me. I want to enter your courts with thanksgiving and I yearn to grow closer to you. Please show me your way and speak to me constantly. I love what I'm learning and pray that you use me to fulfill the potential and extraordinary life you have set for me. Thank you for teaching me that living for you is not boring! I want to stand before you one day and hear 'Well done.' Please let that be my focus... to please  you. You are truly amazing.  Please seal these words in my head and etch them on my heart!

Boast In Your Weaknesses...

Last week, John Bevere spoke to our church family about living an Extraordinary life and how God's GRACE allows us to do that. I decided to do a study of his about living an Extraordinary life. As I've begun to journey through his book, Extraordinary, I've already learned so much just in two chapters! Today I was looking through last Sunday's sermon notes and I came across 2 Corinthians 12:9.  Verses 7-10 in my NIV version reads,

⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Boast in my weaknesses!? What... I'm not sure I'm quite understanding yet... so I looked up the Message version of the verse which reads: (v. 7-10)

 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,  

 "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness."

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

In this passage, Paul shares that evil was constantly reminding him of the 'thorn in his flesh' which to us could be a handicap, it could be temptation, an addiction, a bad relationship, or any sin that we may be struggling with. Satan doesn't only work to tempt us with obvious sins like alcoholism, drug abuse and cussing, but he can weasel his way into our minds and make us think of all of our flaws and weaknesses instead of our strengths and powers given to us by God. It's Satan's bait to draw us in through our minds but God says, 'All you need is my GRACE'.... that's it!?!

John Bevere defined 'Grace' as, 'God's empowerment that gives us the ability to go beyond our natural ability.' Grace is God's POWER.

So back to boasting about my weaknesses... God says that his power and strength is apparent in our weaknesses. HE is the one that delivers us from temptation, bad thoughts, bad relationships and addiction. When we overcome these things that Satan puts as 'thorns in our skin,' we have accomplished it by God's GRACE (his power). He is glorified when we overcome these things.

Being human, we will never be perfect. It's easy to try and lean on worldly ways to achieve our dreams and goals so when 'thorns' are thrown at us, it's easy to lean on our own understanding and 'worldly' advice. Proverbs 3:5-6 comes to mind:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

As a young adult, it's easy for Satan to throw 'thorns' and thoughts like... "Where am I going in life?" "Why am I not getting married yet?"... or even better..."When am I going to find my great, loving, christian husband God's promised me?" These thoughts often lead us to focus on our weaknesses and temptations, but God says lean on me and my GRACE will get you past these temptations that lead to weaknesses and sin.

I didn't get far through my sermon notes this morning, but 2 Corinthians 12 definitely put some things together and connected some important dots. I love how when learning a new lesson, God connected one of my favorite verses to it!

'Thank you Jesus for using just a few words to impact me in such a powerful way! Please seal this lesson in my heart and in my mind for when temptations and weaknesses lead me astray and off the path you have set for me. I know you have great things in store for me and my generation! Please use my weaknesses to glorify you and your power along the way!'