“There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.” – Luke 6:26 MSG
We kicked soccer balls around the yard Sunday afternoon. It was warm and the sun was shining, a taste of spring that felt a long time coming. There were no phones out to take photos, nothing extra needed to entertain us except one another. We played, and it filled my heart as much as it made our girl laugh.
The experience got the only 2 likes I needed – from my husband and daughter. They liked it because we were making memories together. The only hearts that were part of our time together were the happy ones the three of us had on a warm winter Sunday.
It’s easy to determine the worthiness of an experience by the response we receive online. Two likes and three hearts pale in comparison to the hundreds and thousands we see popping up on popular accounts. If it were a post on Instagram I’d be tempted to delete it, replace it with something else. I’d reconsider what time I posted it, maybe adjust when and what I shared to get the memory in front of the most people.
Being “bold” this year has looked so very different than what I anticipated. I thought I would be doing big, scary things. I thought maybe I would be invited to speak on stages, or have publishers knocking on my door. I thought I’d be making grand decisions and impressive announcements.
But God is inviting me to a year where “bold” looks like living true, not being popular. It’s quiet and incredibly unimpressive. Bold is choosing to value the small moments over the popular ones. Because I won’t be on any stages this year – not any that aren’t work related. My inbox has been filled with exactly zero publishers interested in me, personally. Every single “popular” thing I thought I wanted has been replaced with more humble, small versions.
This verse from Luke is what I’m holding on to in this season, as I ask God to remove the parts of my heart that feel cold and wintery with new life. Because my winter heart wants to stomp my foot and ask for more. It wants to strive and plan and try to figure out why things aren’t working the way I thought they would. But that part of my heart wants popularity more than truth. So, because God promises to come to us like the spring rain (Hosea 6:3), I’m trusting Him to breath new life into this weary heart.
I want to live a life that is true, even if it never looks popular.
Dear Crystal, what a “bold” and to the point — heartfelt entry that you have written today. I know that you are listening to the Only Voice Who Truly Matters in this life — HIS voice. Continue to follow after God, pursue His kingdom, live His truth through your life, and I know that He will put you in front of kings. The process of preparation is definitely not in our timeframe [trust me, I know 🙂 ] and I know that in His fullness of time for your precious life’s plan, God will open doors that our minds cannot even imagine — He will publish your work to reach the harvest field and the laborers — and He will bless you, guide you, lead you and give you His favor. Wow, what more can we ask for? Well, maybe that the 3 hearts will continue to have joy in the journey together in unity, peace and love. There is so much that He has planned for each of us. A good — a great plan — He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. May God bless you each moment of each day as you look to Him.
Thank you for speaking truth into my life. You boldness and honesty has been inspiring me for over a year now. Don’t stop being you. Don’t stop your funny Periscopes. Don’t stop telling us that God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. You DO matter.
Girl, just when I think I can’t possibly love you more, you go and write something that resonates so deep. ♡♡♡
Know that you’re not alone in this, either. The struggle to identify and conquer my prideful ego and replace it with a humble need for chasing only God’s heart is real.
Xoxo
Crystal, well said! And, it’s what my heart is feeling also. I don’t want to jump on Facebook first to see who is responding to what I’ve written. I want to go to God first, for all my likes!
Yes! That’s it, exactly 🙂