By Eric
2-minute read
From a young age, most of us learn there's safety in the tribe. Don't stick out too much and the tribe will like you (or at least not dislike you too much). But if you stick your head out, or have opinions not aligned with the tribe, or do things particularly outside the norm—then you may get rejected... Scary stuff.
We all do it. No one is immune from seeking acceptance with the tribe to some degree.
We all make decisions every day aimed at one particular goal: align with the average tribe member who seems to be pretty well accepted (or maybe rise just slightly above them) but don't risk embarrassment, scrutiny, or rejection by too much free thinking.
But the question you really need to be asking is: Are you willing to follow where Inspiration leads?
Sometimes freedom and success can be scary too, because the tribe can be jealous, misunderstand the source of your confidence, or put you in the spotlight where you risk embarrassment if you falter.
At the most basal level, following Inspiration means asking if you are willing to be yourself—and that means truly be yourself. By "be yourself," that means your deepest spiritual self. To let your light shine in this physical world while doing physical things and surviving in a physical way amongst a physical tribe (who don't always edify higher-thinking).
I believe you and I are here to be who we really are. If we don’t do that, then we’ve lost the plot. If we drown our light with distractions, comfort, or escape, we’ve lost the plot.
I believe we are here to live a very different experience, to grow ever closer to our Source of Inspiration and to be willing to follow, even when it feels scary, risky, or inconvenient. In fact, especially at those times.
But most of us feel it's safer just not to risk standing out at all, because maybe we don't think we could pull it off even if we wanted to.
But here's the thing—that's exactly the type of person God loves to inspire and empower: the underdog who doesn’t think they’re overly special or ready. God says, "Now I have someone I can work with and shine the light of love and empowerment through."
Now, of course, that shining isn't so God can feel like the big-God-on-campus. It's so others can be made aware of that great power of God's inspiration—a power that can transform and empower their lives too. It’s literally being the salt and light of the world.
But it can never happen when we force God's inspiration through a filter of: is it cool, or is it comfortable? Or, is it popular, convenient, or will it impress the Joneses next door? And especially not based on: will it make me feel important? Will it impress Mom or my spouse or the random person at church or school? None of those can be the ultimate reason to follow your Inpspiration.
If you force everything through that tribal-acceptance filter, it just clouds and squelches your inspiration like a heavy, wet, musty blanket. But when you break free and realize you are not here to impress the neighbors, be perceived as cool, or die with the most toys—then you can truly be free. And that freedom feels GOOD!
A sign of being free is you must be willing to ask yourself: "Am I crazy for believing I can do this?" And then ask, "Are all things possible with God?"
It is hard to imagine any person who has truly followed God's inspiration who doesn’t ask those questions sometimes. They always did in Bible stories—that’s for sure. God doesn’t play in the safe zone, and neither should we if we want to be true channels of our highest Inspirations.
I believe God wants to do amazing things through you by leveraging your unique skills and talents right where you are. And whether that leads to worldly acknowledgment doesn’t matter. The point is—did you answer the call?
Following inspiration often feels a little lofty or bold by most of the tribes standards—but so is success, freedom, and impact.
God says to throw out those old filters of belief and instead ask: Is what I'm doing loving? Does it draw others to God? Can my success or action empower and uplift others? Does it feel like the right thing to do? Can it be positively impactful? Do I feel a strange sense of confidence mixed with fear about it?"
In my experience—and from studying others for years who have followed Inspired callings—this is the fingerprint of God. If you missed part one of this thread, see What is Inspiration.
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Then Take Some Next Steps ⬇️
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