Embrace Your Greatness: Adam Kees

Here's a FABULOUS blog post from a friend, Adam Kees, click here for more of his blog posts. 

Embrace Your Greatness!

If you have the audacity to embrace the greatness put in you, people are going to mock you.They will scoff, they will laugh. They will tell you that you can’t do it, they will tell you that you are crazy. They will try anything to keep you from pushing past the norm into that magnificent place where your talents and giftings collide with the power of Throneroom blessing.

Your Creator, Our God in Heaven, has put things in you that you are passionate about. It doesn’t matter if that passion is in the vein of the usual “churchy” gifts; i.e. teaching, preaching, music, mission work, etc. It doesn’t matter if it’s something that people haven’t traditionally used to glorify God. Your love for fixing cars, designing clothes, flipping houses, politics, pet grooming, business, fitness, cooking, or whatever else has been put in you by God. If the Bible is not telling you it's sinful, then it's probably from Heaven :)

You know it’s your passion because the way it makes you feel alive, the way it moves your heart in a way hardly anything else can. That feeling is what makes your passion special.You already have an inherent drive and motivation to do these things, and do them well, because it’s what you naturally get pleasure from. It’s easy to do things you enjoy!

It’s also that zeal which will cause people to take notice. Bill Johnson, the lead pastor ofBethel Church in Redding, California, says, “When I live out of discipline, I am admired; when I live out of passion, I am contagious.” Everybody can tell when you are doing something you love. It’s obvious. When you talk about what you’re doing your eyes light up, there is excitement in your voice, and nobody can get you to shut up about it :) It’s infectious. Sometimes I’ll get excited with you just from listening—even when it’s an area I could care less about!

So what is your passion? And why aren’t you living it out? I don’t care how normal (or unorthodox) you think your passion is, if you purpose it in your heart to live it out and line it up with the Word of God to bring glory to the Father, you can be an earth shaker. A business mogul. A fashion icon. A TV fitness guru. A sold-out, Spirit-filled, President of the United States of America.

Don’t let those that laugh at you keep you from your pursuit. Let’s be real: most of them don’t want you to go after your dreams because they are sitting around not pursuing theirs.The prospect of you doing something you love and wildly succeeding at it makes them uncomfortable…and maybe even a little jealous. If they’ve given up on their dreams, or bought into the lie that says they are insignificant and can’t possibly make a difference in this world, then you going after your passions just might get them all kinds of messed up.

You have to be ok with the fact that a lot of people are going to hope you don’t succeed.You have to know from the start that when you embrace the greatness that lies within you that people who have settled for average will oftentimes try to convince you to settle for average as well. On the one hand, as referenced above, your passion is contagious; on the other hand, to some people, you are absolutely scary.

* * * * *

I’ve made up my mind that I’m not going to maintain mediocrity so that I can keep other people feeling comfortable. Does that decision ruffle some feathers? Yes. Does it damage some relationships? Unfortunately, yes. But that decision also unleashes the potential for greatness to flow out of me. It’s a decision that’s well worth the cost. I hope you join me.

Tub of ice cream vs. cute dainty bowl.

     I have a Brennen story for you. The other night I was eating salsa in these cute little cups. I just grabbed it because it was the first thing I saw that would hold my salsa. I took it into the living room and mom said, "Oh, I just love those little cups! That makes me want ice cream!" So after I finished gorging  myself on chips and salsa I get up to take it to the kitchen and mom asks me to get her some ice cream.

     She is expecting her ice cream in one of these:

     And I bring her this with a spoon in it. 

     Mom, of course, was disappointed in her daughter. Mom was expecting a beautiful ice cream creation with whip cream on top and a spoon placed perfectly in it. And I gave her a tub of ice cream and a spoon. Which, to me, was way better because with the little cups you get like 3 bites max. Which is a joke. And with the tub, you ain't gotta stop. 

     The thing about it is- we are like this with the Lord sometimes. We ask for something, and we expect it to come so pretty, neat, and without any work. And then He gives us what we want (in abundance) and we don't like it. We get up and go do it ourselves.  I'm not saying that my mother was not appreciative, she laughed when I brought her the ice cream. (She should of expected it, it's me!) And, there is nothing wrong with expecting things to be great. I believe that God does want to give us things with a cherry on top. But there are other things that He knows what is best for us. And he knows how much more we will appreciate it, take care of it and love it- if we do some of the work, waiting, and preparing. Ya know? It all links back to my post last night. 

     God wants us to take responsibility for the things He gives us. Same thing I said in this post- on how we have to be faithful with the little things in order to be faithful with the big things. Same concept. It all goes hand in hand. We've got to get serious about nurturing the things that God has given us. Our gifts, our family, our spouses, our children, our co-workers, our talents and our abilities. God has placed these people and things in our lives for a reason. And you are where you are "for such a time as this". God has been preparing you to be exactly where you are... and He's preparing you now [where you currently are] for where you are going. Cool huh? 

    Lord, I just say right now- that I will take whatever you give me. If it's pretty with a cherry on top or if it's just a tub of whatever you decide to give me. I receieve it! No matter how much work it will take. I want what you want me to have. Thank you Jesus! Amen.