I'm a character

One of my goals for 2012 is to blog a little more often. So here we go...

Have you ever watched a movie and noticed all of the people that appear in the scenes? I mean, sure, we notice the stars, the people whose names appear on the posters. The people who have all of the speaking parts and make the millions of dollars are hard to miss. They are the focus of most scenes.

But what about the supporting actors and actresses? And what about the extras? We might think they're unimportant - especially the extras, but are they really?

Think about those scenes on busy streets or in a sports arena. What would those scenes be like without all of those extras Would it be the same if a couple was walking down a sidewalk in New York City with no one else around?

What would God's story be like without the supporting actors and actresses and the extras?

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul reminds us that everyone is a part of the story. We are each a member of the body of Christ. We are all important.

Think about what happens when a part of the body is amputated. It becomes lifeless. It loses purpose.

The same is true when we are disconnected from the bigger story we are invited into.

It seems like I constantly have to remind myself that I am a character in a bigger story - God's story. The truth is that I forget this all of the time.

Sometimes my pride gets in the way and I think I am the lead character. I start to think I am God and act like it. Trying to be the lead in our own story is like trying to use my iPad and not bringing the charger along. It might work for a while, but eventually we run out of energy.

There are other times I feel so unimportant and inconsequential that I forget I'm even in the story. I might begin to think I don't belong in the story and that I am not in the picture. This is never true. While it may be true that our role is minor at time, it is never insignificant.

I must always remind myself that I am a character in God's grand story of creation. And the coolest thing is that I have the freedom to write my part. I should always listen to the Author of Life, but at the same time I have the pen in my hand. I get to fill the pages in my script. I can choose to write the story I want. This means I have the freedom to make the story revolve around me and loose its greater purpose. Or I can write myself out of the story and feel like I don't have a place. Or...

Or I can listen for the voice of God and allow Him to invite me into his grand narrative and find a place where my story finds it purpose and I can be more than I ever imagined.

 

shine!
Jason