Me: Wow Prodigal, what a voice you have!
Prodigal: Thank you, I am practicing for a performance. I have the honor of using my voice to sing to others tomorrow.
Me: I cannot sing at all but I will be there to support you! While you take a break from your practice, you can listen to today’s story.
Gary Heim and Lisa Heim in their book True North talk about how we can all perform at times even if we do not sing for others.
In one way or another, we all try to be in control of our lives by performing for God and people instead of freely loving them from our hearts. Performing is significantly different from loving or being responsible. True love wants to give because we know we are dearly loved by Jesus, and therefore we want to bless others. When we love, we know our limitations and can draw appropriate boundaries. We’re secure enough in God’s love to be able to say yes and no to people’s requests. On the other hand, when we perform, we hide behind masks of what we think people want us to be because we’re grasping for their love, approval, and acceptance instead of resting in God’s; we’re giving people more power than God in defining who we are.
I have performed plenty of times. I don’t think we can get out of it hundred percent but I think we should not allow performing to control our lives. How do we give people more power than God? This is something God has been slowly testing me and showing me. Just like you, we are all busy and have a lot of social demands on our plate. I started years ago, praying about which social events that I should attend. In doing this, interesting enough, God has made it very clear for me not to attend some social meetings. He also made me go places, I really did not want to go. When I would say no to some social events, I knew without a doubt that by saying no that someone would get offended and someone would be upset. Then I had a choice that God was giving me. What is more important, this person’s approval or God’s.
I started to pray about it and wisdom was giving to me. We cannot see the whole picture. Maybe the timing is not right for this social meeting, maybe it would do more harm then good because God has to work on my heart or their heart. Maybe God wants you somewhere else at that time. Whatever the reason, when God tells us to do something and it will offend someone else. We first make sure that it is God and then we have to put God’s approval first. Otherwise we spend our entire lives performing for the approval of others and then we are not a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
