Wednesday, May 28, 2008

"Worst Ever?"- Insights




Last week I wrote a Lesson Learned article called "Worst Ever?" - Here are Bill Masek's Insights into what I wrote...

Masek's Insights (for a lack of a better name)

What can I learn from your lesson since I know you are not telling us to practice being inadequate? I have found there is only one time that is beneficial to seem inadequate... and that is when you are dealing with the opposite sex.

For instance, I remember being in the college laundry room looking very inadequate trying to clean my clothes. The next thing I know there is some strange female doing my laundry and folding my clothes. The only thing that I learned was to always look pathetic when doing laundry, or vacuuming, or washing dishes... the same thing goes for girls who want guys to fix their car or carry something heavy.

Unfortunately or really fortunately God is not that naive for us to take advantage of Him. So as I said, trying to be inadequate to let God shine brighter probably wouldn't work in the long run.
Besides God working in spite of our flaws, what is the common thread in all of Brent's examples? Being ready to do whatever God asks 24/7! For all of us, there are going to be times when our tries are less than stellar and we feel like fools. We know that we will never be perfect, but at least there was an attempt. God can work through attempts and show His power and glory through these jars of clay He calls humanity.

It is when we don't try, or have excuses of why we didn't do something that God cannot work through us. We are not defeated until we decide we will not do what He calls us to do. To this day I think Nike's motto "Just Do It!" is the best advice.

The younger generation will always model what the generation before them is doing. It is up to us whether they will be a generation who will try to do amazing and impossible things, or a generation of emotionally paralyzed people who do not know how to succeed, actually do not even know how to try to succeed.

It's time that we all start being fools for Christ. It's not about trying to look like a fool, we do just fine without trying, but being a fool because the world cannot believe we have enough faith in God to believe it is worth trying the outrageous and unbelievable.I've said it may times to Brent, "You are a fool, don't stop being this fool. You are a fool for preaching while drugged up. You are a fool to not only be at an all night-er but trying to preach to a bunch of teens at 4am. You are also a fool for being a youth pastor, and even more of a fool to give that all up and be a missionary that trains other fools." Again Brent, don't stop being this Fool.The only question is, how can we become more foolish?

Time we all start being a little more foolish.

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