Limitations and Redwoods: A Call to Dream Bigger
Recently I have noticed something that has been been present before I existed, empowering to my present, and equipping my future: grace. I have also noticed something that competes against my thoughts, actions, and lifestyle of grace: self-rejection. I have been honored and esteemed capable of high levels of responsibility lately, and with this increase in responsibilities I have also recognized a feeling of being unqualified. It's almost as if I have been blessed and privileged with the honor of leading in new and beautiful ways, recognized as a leader, empowered and equipped to do what God has called me to do, and yet seemingly, because of feelings and lies, I think otherwise.
I have come to a reality in grace: that my self-rejection is covered by grace too. Although, I may think that I am unqualified, and I may be in some areas of leadership and life, the Kingdom of God is not about being qualified through our own ways. The Kingdom of God and the Gospel of Christ Jesus reveals another reality in grace: Christ's birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and promises empower and qualify us. The only thing I am doing in rejecting who I am in the Lord is limiting myself and those around me of the greater things that are promised for those who follow Jesus and are filled with our blessed Holy Spirit.
My wife and I had to an incredible opportunity not long ago to attend a Bethel Worship night at Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California. We were absolutely blessed to be led in worship by Jonathan David and Melissa Helser, Amanda Cook, Steffany Gretzinger, and William Matthews. During this time the Lord was sharing a lot to us, filling our hearts with more and more of His great grace and love. We heard amazing prophetic words, wonderful songs, and praised our King in a time of reflection upon what He has done, is doing, and will do.
During this time, God gave me a vision that I feel is a prophetic word not only for myself, but that should be released for many to read, pray and walk in. I saw a big tree planted in a small planter. I heard The Lord say, "You need to break down the walls of the planter. You are a redwood. Why are you planting redwoods in planters when they are meant to be refuges and sanctuaries? You are called to be tall and majestic; to reveal the vastness of creation and creativity. Don't limit your growth and others' vision of God by planting yourself in something not meant for your size and calling. You're identity reveals a freedom in your planting, growing, and rooting. Your source is the river, not a bucket. Why limit my outpouring with buckets when you can be rooted in the river? Face your branches toward the throne and watch your growth. Be tall my son, I love you."
I love the timing and beauty of God's faithful love. He gave me this picture before the feelings and lies of self-rejection tried to vie for my attention. He prepared me with weapons for a battle that has already been won. He gave me vision so that I wouldn't have to react, but rather I could respond with the reality of who God is and who God says I am.
You may be reading and saying, "But I'm not a redwood..." To which I respond with a hearty, "GOOD." You're bigger than a redwood. You're more majestic than the most beautiful sunset. You are created in the image of the Creator, and it's pretty clear that everything else was just good until humanity came about. You are very good. Supremely, uniquely, pleasurably good. It was so good that God approved it completely. Why stop at a redwood when there's an eternal source of creativity alive in us? Why stop at a planter with small buckets of water, when we are offered to be rooted in the streams of living water? Why face any other direction than the throne of God? Why be something that we were not created to be?
Henri Nouwen reveals this in such a powerful manner in Life of the Beloved when he writes that, "Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved." Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence."
So the next time feelings of being disqualified, unqualified, unworthy, unloved, or any other lies try to slither into your identity, I want to empower and remind you of the prophetic declaration that has been fully revealed through the Messiah: we are qualified through the grace of God not through our strength, or lack thereof. It will be an exciting day when a whole bunch of fearless children of God decide to uproot themselves from their limitations in planters of self-rejection and root themselves in the rivers of the living waters of grace. Here's to that expanding forest of redwoods and hopefully, to the bigger and unique trees revealing God's creative and horizonless love. Amen.
