Saturday, October 1, 2011

Stepping Stones: Wanted: Supporting Actor in a Glorious Drama!

Transformational Thought

My mother is a great piano player, and she taught many others and me while I was growing up. She also loved musicals, so I reluctantly got a fair dose of those as a kid as well. My oldest daughter, who’s now in college, was always interested in music and drama too, so I have seen many plays and musicals. Seems like more of the same from childhood, but actually, watching the shows now is quite different than when I was a kid.

You see, as a kid watching the shows, I fell into the trap of thinking the actors were just being themselves and not really playing parts. Watching my daughter up on stage with her friends, I was now able to appreciate they were not being themselves. They were actually acting out something totally different, something the writer and the director envisioned for and coached out of them.

As Christians, whether we like it or not, our lives are all individual stages on which others might observe the performance of Christ. Despite our imperfections, we have been chosen to act out and reflect His Glory for others to see so they can become aware of His presence and power. Don’t worry about your stage being unworthy of Him. No matter how much you fix it up, no matter how polished you may become…you will never be good enough for the display of His radiant holiness.

However, our weakness is the ideal stage for the exhibition of His power. And for this glorious process to happen, we must submit to Him as the great Director. Really trust His instruction and purpose for us. Step into and revel in the awesome roles He designed for us. If you feel uncomfortable with God as your director, your other options are evil-intentioned Satan or your very nearsighted and incompetent self.

Today, play your rightful part in this Glorious Drama. To maximize this opportunity and experience, look inward and find what is distracting and hindering you from keeping your eyes constantly on Him, following His direction. Grab a pencil and paper and journal a few minutes. Then work on that distraction…see how He can ease the pain this distraction brings to you. Then you will be able to keep your gaze fixed on Him and His awesome splendor. Forget about your unworthiness. Watch the Glorious Drama unfold as He performs great things for you and through you. Your decision, choose well.

Prayer
Dear Father God, I want to be Your stage. I want to be available to be a stage from which You can display Your power and Glory. But Father, I am not a ready-to-use stage. I feel more like a splintery, unfinished platform. I feel I may not even be safe enough…I feel like my boards are not yet nailed down properly. Help me, Father, to look away from myself and to look at You. Use my tired, broken stage in any way You choose. I am encouraged and thankful as I read Your Holy Word telling me that Your power is made perfect in my weakness. Thank You, Father. I pray through the love and work of Christ Jesus for us, and all God’s children say – AMEN!

The Truth
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10