“I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary because social media has taught you an ordinary life is a meaningless life.” – Brene Brown – Daring Greatly Book
An ordinary life can make a huge impact. The rise of social media has improved our life to keep us connected, but also diminished our life as we can get caught in the comparison loop that makes us feel ordinary. We see our friends going on big vacations, having fun when we were not invited, getting a promotion at work, etc…. We compare ourselves to that highlight reel when reality is probably something much different. Comparison is the thief of joy, especially for our youth that are focused on how many friends, followers, likes, comments they get. For adults, it can be their career, promotion, house, car, etc. We can wrap our identity in that instead of what we should. It becomes more about us and less about others. It becomes more about what people can do for us versus what they can do for others.
Abraham was an ordinary man that led an extraordinary life making a huge impact on the world. He made that impact by being humble and following God. Genesis 12 – Trusting God’s plan for his life even when it seemed impossible. There is another man in the Bible named Nimrod in Genesis 10. Many of you probably have never even heard of him. He was the first “celebrity” at the time known for his hunting skills. Genesis 10:9 “He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” It was like people saying today, “Man, you are Nimrod good!” or “You have game like Nimrod.” You had Nimrod jerseys you wore. Genesis 11:4 – Nimrod and his followers were the architects of the tower Babel. They wanted to make their own kingdom and power/dominance by building the tower. It was based in fear that if they don’t do something they will be nothing. They were building their life for their own glory and power.
We cannot build our life for the temporary here on Earth. Everything in this world will fade. We need the solid foundation of God. We need to be an Abraham when our culture is telling us that we should be like Nimrod. Our human soul is too weighty for something so fragile. Chasing the temporary will have us running in the wrong direction. We chase things and when we get to the top, we think “Is this it?”
Don’t build out of fear but walk out on faith. Abraham built an alter to God while Nimrod built a tower for his own glory. Abraham got to touch all of lives, while Nimrod fades in the background that no one really knows who he is. God’s kingdom will never fade.
What does it look like to trust God with the course of your life?
What goals do you need to refocus to be more God centered?
How can you choose to be content with the life you have, and not covet someone else’s?
“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” Galatians 1:10
Reference: Jesus in Our Generation by Ben Stuart
I like this one. 🙂