Happy Monday!
About 5 years ago, a very dear old friend of mine taught me something more key to my success than I understood it to be at that time. Kent Henry… ever heard of that guy? Kent has been known as an apostle of worship music for a few decades… he’s transcended generations… and still makes a tremendous impact worldwide, especially through the school he founded a few years back: Revolution School in St. Louis, Missouri.
Here’s what Kent told us: Creativity killer NUMBER ONE is the voice of judgment (VOJ).
The thought seemed profound on the day I first heard it… and EVEN MORE today. Let me explain!
Think about it… when were the times you were most creative in your life. I would dare to guess that your SHINING moments usually came when you were SURROUNDED with CHEERING!
Yes I know, we don’t want to underestimate the power of humiliation… and we dont want to ignore the ricocheting effect of a rock bottom collision.
Bad times can most definitely act as secret portals to new beginnings.
Yet, to remain broken and humiliated and suffering and struggling and empty and broke… to get STUCK in the RUT of a lonely and depressing existence is a most certain formula for an early death. Our world is filled with people in their 50′s who DIED in their 30′s. Yeah, they still roam to and fro in the land of the living… but they are comatosed in a spell of meaninglessness!
From experience, I have learned that EVERY person should be placed into one of three categories:
- Synergistic
- Neutral
- Antagonistic
Some people make us WANT TO FLY… others SUCK THE AIR RIGHT OUT OF OUR LUNGS. Some people are a GIFT from God… when they are near, we feel as if NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE… these people help us ten-times our dreams. Other people are like a CURSE from Satan… when they come around, we feel as if EVERYTHING is impossible… they make us feel as if nothing we ever do will ever be good enough for God, for them, or for anyone else.
While its healthy to have HONEST people in our fan club… and there is a great value in CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. There is a GIGANTIC difference between the LOVING VOICE OF CRITIQUE and the CONDEMNING VOICE OF JUDGMENT.
We must CHOOSE the people we INVITE into our PERSONAL BUBBLE… because great teams and great players ride on the THUNDER rolling out of their epic stadiums!
Are you stuck in a circle of condemners? Have too many of your best years been spent running from a POINTING FINGER? Are you trying to DREAM THE DREAMS OF GOD for your life while the people in your bubble scratch their beards and stare you DOWN?
I know this blog will sound harsh and offensive to the JUDGERS… and to the judgers I pray… that this blog will open your eyes to the destructive nature of your arrogance. That you will DECIDE NOW to stop JEERING and start CHEERING! That you will free your victims… and spend the rest of your lives giving back all the FUTURES you have stolen. I sincerely apologize to God for all the VOJ I’ve cast over people in my 38 years.
For all the victims of VOJ… I admonish you to take the next twelve months to 3 years… and BE SELECTIVE about filling your NEW STADIUM! Ask God to give you SUPPORTERS… to send people into your life that have FAITH… people who have the SKILL of being able to look beyond what you are today to the BEAUTIFUL PERSON YOU ARE BECOMING!
How many FANS do you have anyway? When I say fans, I mean: How many people are there in your stadium today-occupying a seat? Is it a hundred? Two hundred? Fifty? Twenty-Five?
Is it time to write a VERY KIND eviction letter… and free your antagonizers to go find a player they can really RAVE ABOUT? Is there a way to FIRE UP your NEUTRAL FANS… to upgrade some of these guys and gals to the category ONE seats? And lastly… what about your FRENZIED FANS? Is it time for a FRENZIED FANS APPRECIATION DAY?
No matter what anybody says to about this subject… YOU HAVE A RIGHT to police your own stadium. And as you do this, I have ONE REQUEST: Can I please reserve one of those CATEGORY ONE SEATS in your new stadium? I promise to CHEER LIKE A CRAZY PERSON EVERY DAY WITHOUT EXCEPTION!
Besides God, I am one of YOUR BIGGEST FANS! Go, GO, GO, GOOOOOOOO! Can you hear me cheering? I hope so! I want you to Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make a GIGANTIC Difference with your life today… and EVERY DAY for the rest of your life!
Romans 1:12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
For more on this subject, check out the clip from coming book Make me a Legend: frenzied fans and home-field advantages
Have your BEST Monday in a very long time!
I LOVE TODAY’S BLOG!!! I just have to say I love uplifting and cheering people. Over the years God has worked in me to start making sure I have the right people around me. In the past I have had everyone around me constantly tell me I am not good enough and nothing I could do would ever be, and I was beginning to listen! Then I found Jesus Christ and who I am Him and He slowly but surely helped me “evict” those people out of my life. When I have “evicted” them however, God (being as amazing as He is) has replaced them with my very own Cheering squad!! I thank God for that. I also continuously pray that He will continue to make me a “Cheerleader” for everyone around me!
I thank God for You and Emily today Pastor!! You two are some of the best “Cheerleaders” I have ever met! My family and I are so blessed to call you our friends!!
Have a blessed day everyone! WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! YOU CAN DO IT!!!
I’m about to go to sleep when I decided to stop by (as always) and reading the blog. Its been my everynite ritual thing before I went to bed.
And today’s blog has heal me and change me and BOOST me. Like a fast arrow in the hero’s hands .. Its what I’m feeling now.
Its been not-an-easy week for me here .. And what I found was a judgment; a word of judgment and also the eyes of judgment. And Today is like the CLIMAX of these week. Some of the feelings: sad, dissapointed, and the greater is BITTERNESS.
Before the sun goes down today, I made a decision in my heart that I REFUSE BITTERNESS and I WELCOME BETTERNESS. I continued reading some verses, but you see it seems harder when you fought alone.
Reading this blog, made me know that I didn’t fight alone .. And beside DECIDE the right things to do to make me BECOME a BETTER person, I say YES that we need a CHEERING SQUAD. And I desperately need that! Well I guess, everybody DOES!
So WOW, I feel GOOD, I feel GOD .. I think I can do ALL THINGS again. Thank you Ps Chuck
Elaine and Esslythe! You girls are GREAT CHEERLEADERS! Both of you make the most profound IMPACT on everyone around you! My life is SO ENHANCED because of you both! Thanks for leaving the comments today… I can FEEL your energy on this… and it sets me on fire! Thanks for saying those kind things about me and Emily! It’s our PLEASURE cheering for you both… and for EVERY PERSON in this TRIBE! (smiling big)
Wow! Here it is Tues. morn. and Im just now reading this. I remember when Kent Henry was at DFC. He was telling us how he would personaly rather say ‘constructive analysis’ than constuctive critisism and I couldn’t agree more. I have had enough rejection issues in my life, and really loved how he put it. I really loved the whole rev. school fundamentals.
To me, building up and tearing down are opposites. I believe in being objective and assertive but the word ‘criticize’ is not positive and therefore in my book it’s something mean people do. I know in a work environment it is neccesary to do so but in everyday life esp. in the church it creates problems.
We really do need to be eachothers cheerleaders. I absolutely cannot be around debbie downers and negative nancys without feeling like awful about myself.
There is a way to constructively suggest without being hurtful, we just need to be sensitive to people.
Great blog:)
Mel
yay for cheerleaders. I am so blessed with Great friends and family during Randy’s healing process. Today he went to the emergency room because he is having an issue wiht one of his meds. I believe it will get resolved today.
Can I have Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn be my cheerleaders?