Today marks a new age.
Literally. It's my twenty-third birthday.
Now, I have always been a huge birthday person. This is due to 1) I love to celebrate others, and 2) I love to be celebrated. It goes both ways. I won't sit here and act like I don't love when all of my friends come together for my birthday party.
For me, it's not really about getting gifts from my friends, rather the joy I get from having all of the people that I love and care for in the same space. There's something encouraging about that sight.
So, whereas some people hate birthdays or just don't care either way, I guarantee most people, whether extroverted or introverted, love the sight of their favorite people all in one place to encourage them.
As I begin this new year of life, I began to wonder what I wanted my 23rd year on earth to look like. In what ways did I want to succeed as for Christ and as an individual?
But that's just it: the idea of a birthday party is exactly what I want my year to look like.
I want to be surrounded by a community of others who care for me and empower and celebrate me as a believer and friend. On the flip side, I want to be the friend that others can count on to empower and celebrate them.
Recently, I have had up close and personal experiences revolving around the idea of empowering and celebrating others.
I have recently begun a journey at Bryan College, as I am now serving as the Worship and Performing Arts Assistant. This part-time job is one that revolves around helping out in chapel worship leadership and recruitment for the performing arts department.
One Monday night I held rehearsal for the first chapel I am coordinating (with the help of the Holy Spirit). This was also my first experience of simply directing. I chose not to sing or play, but to just help guide the capable and talented vessels that I had contacted to be apart of the time of musical worship.
By the time the rehearsal ended (though an hour later than expected), my heart was so full of joy.
This joy wasn't because the music sounded off the chain (which it did, they are so talented!). This wasn't because I was in awe of the talent in the room (again, still true).
My heart was full because I finally physically understood what it was like to empower others.
I think we are all familiar of the idea of the body of Christ. You've heard it: some of us are the mouthpiece, some of us the arms, some the feet.
But what happens when we are in community with multiple mouthpieces? What if we have five hands?
Though our mission and cause does not change, how we navigate our gifts may.
See, I love to worship Jesus through singing and the playing of instruments. But I am not the only one on this earth or even within a one mile radius that does.
I am surrounded by so many talented beings who can praise God with their voice. Now, this doesn't change our private roles, but what happens when you and seventeen others think you should be the one to lead the new song at church?
What I'm getting at here is this: sometimes our role is to step back and empower others to use their gifts.
Often, you will find yourself with a bigger blessing.
That's what happened to me! I found joy in seeing others walk in their giftings given to them by the Father.
Because of this empowerment, I also lined myself up to celebrate them. Celebrate what exactly? Their obedience. Their hearts. Their talents. Their decision to use their gifting to share the name of Jesus.
Who are we to be the people to withhold or celebrate others for following Jesus? This would make us the proud. The arrogant. The one who needs to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord. The rude.
I think what we often forget is this: It is okay to celebrate others. Actually, it is more than okay- it is a blessing!
I believe that in our culture, we have made it harder and harder to empower and celebrate others.
We live in a world that often conveys this idea that you should do what you're best at, and only you deserve to be doing that. You shouldn't leave room for others. It tells us that life is an uphill climb, and only one of us can make it to the peak.
The world wants us to believe that in order to be successful we must be solo on top. That's what makes us winners.
In continuing with this theme, I found that only a handful of people have made it up to the peak of Mount Everest alone. Others died trying. But even those who did still tell of the miserable feeling it took to get there.
Reinhold Messner, the first man to make it to the top on his own, recounted his experience by saying the following:
"This coming down is a very strong experience. You come back from an inhuman place. We are not made for it, this loneliness and cold."
Now, this journey to the top is still a difficult one with a team around you, but as Messner states, "we are not made for it, this loneliness and cold."
In the most literal comparison, life can be a hard climb and descent- especially if you are alone.
But even those who have traveled to the top of Everest alone or with a group have accomplished the same goal- one was just lonesome and more miserable.
Luckily, we have the choice to do life with others; to walk along side a community of likeminded people with the same mission.
But sadly, this belief of succeeding on your own or having the need to prove your abilities to others on your own translates into Christian culture.
I have often felt that in order to be successful in my calling, I should be a worship leader at a huge church with a huge band. That I should be getting calls left and right about serving at a conference.
This is so far from the truth.
True success is the consistent following of our Savior.
So here's a takeaway for some of us: true calling isn't a role but a heart stance.
"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
Ephesians 4:12
See what we find here is that many of us are called to roles, but sometimes our role is also to equip the rest of the body.
The simple truth is that if we have a true relationship with Christ, that we all carry the same goal: others developing that same relationship with the Father.
So, and I say this to myself as well, stop getting caught up in your role. Stop getting caught up in the thought process that you are the only capable one of certain roles. Stop believing that you are the only one equipped in Christ.
Reality is, whether or not you may carry more levels of talent in a certain role- you weren't always that way. It requires growth, and growth requires experience. And in return, experience requires opportunity.
Put your pride aside and empower the body. I promise that you will leave feeling full.
There is no bigger blessing than getting to celebrate what God is doing in someone else’s life.
So my prayer for myself and for you, is that this next year can look like serving Jesus in the way He intended us to serve.
To walk with community, be obedient, celebrate others, and to put myself aside in order for the efficient growth of the kingdom of Christ.
Songs for reflection, prayer, and singing :
"All the People Said Amen" - Matt Maher
"Your Peace Will Make Us One" - Audrey Assad
"Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me" - CityAlight
"Good Grace" - Hillsong UNITED
"I Speak Jesus" - Charity Gayle, Steven Musso
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