Just Be Yourself

In the time that I've been speaking I've come to realize several things about people.  One that stands out is that the majority of people don't really like who they are.  They dislike some aspect of their appearance or some characteristic about themselves.  Typically, the people that come across as the most confident are the ones struggling with the most insecurities.  I hate insecurities!! They are weights and chains created by the Devil to hinder us from being everything God has created us to be.  Far too many of us don't step out into the unknown because of fear of failure and of doubt in our abilities.  When God calls us to do something, you can be sure that the Devil will do his part in making you feel inadequate and unequipped.  The Devil knows if he can get you caught up in self-doubt, he has successfully disabled you.

I remember as a young teen the first camp I went to at Turner Falls, in Oklahoma.  I was a broken boy bleeding from the wounds of my past.  I had no self-esteem and my future was plagued by fear.  The speaker was Reggie Dabbs--whom I consider perhaps the best evangelist of our time. When the altar call was given I went forward, crying my eyes out and gave my life to Jesus!  Since that camp 12 years ago I've had the incredible opportunity to intern with and get to know Reggie Dabbs. During the year that I interned with him, he showed me the in's and out's of how and what he did.  Watching Reggie in action had such an impact on my life!  I hung on every word he said; I took note of his every move; I rode along as he took the students on a roller coster of emotions. I also struggled with the realization that this was the ministry God was calling me to do, too.

It was during this time of struggle that I was getting attacked hard core by the enemy.  I was feeling insecure about my calling and wondered if I was really cut out to do this.  It required long days away from your family-- was I ready for this sacrifice?  At the height of this time of self-doubt, along came someone who put the cherry on the top of my insecurity sundae! He asked me what I wanted to do and I told him I felt God calling me to do what Reggie did, to be an evangelist.  I was waiting for him to say "Man that's great!" and then proceed to encourage me to go after my calling, I was not prepared for his derisive laughter. Looking at me like I was nuts, he said  "you want to do what Reggie does!?"   "But you're not big and black and you don't play the saxophone!  Oh man, maybe you should rethink that!"  I couldn't believe what I was hearing!  Here was someone I looked up to, a man of God telling me I should dial God back up and tell Him He might want to "rethink" the call He'd placed on my life!  Oh man!  You talk about wanting to jump off a bridge! All I could think of was I needed to get to a Walmart and see if they were hiring. "Afternoon ma'am, welcome to Walmart, do you need a cart?"  Here I was, really wanting to be an evangelist, when I discover I'm not big, I'm not black and I don't play the saxophone.  Really! As if!!  Ha!!  I know most of you reading this are probably thinking "no way!"  Yes, I know I am an evangelist (and we are known for our exaggeration) but I assure you every word is true!

On some level, I must have thought there was some truth to my "friend's" words, because, when I first began to go out and speak, I felt myself adopting some of the things Reggie would do. I'd even say some of the things he would say in the way how he would say them.  Afterwards, I would wonder why did I do that? or why did I say that?  I soon began to go through this identity crisis, trying to find out who I was.  But It was a good thing!  I began to find out who I was, and more importantly how God wanted to use me. God patiently showed me that He needed me to be me.  He showed me that He had me doing this for a reason--He needed my individuality and my own style.  He began to show me that He had me here to reach people that others couldn't.  I came to the realization that if God wanted only one person to be His witness, He wouldn't have called all of us to Go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19).  

Since then God has used me to reach a lot of people.  I know I couldn't have done it without first realizing I had to be the person God called me to be.  We all need to find our identity in Christ, we need to understand it's not by our strength and talent that people come to know Christ, but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).  God uses us as His instrument to relay His message.  Think about how much more effective we could be if we could lay aside our insecurities self-doubts and our lack of confidence and simply be the person God has created us to be!  God says it's in our weakness He is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Let's lay aside our insecurities and grab a hold of the promises of Christ!  You can reach people that I can't!!  God needs you, will you except His invitation?  If you have a second and want a good laugh check out my video "Just be yourself" below.  Its a simple and silly reminder to not care whose watching and just be who God has made you to be!!