It is our LIGHT not our DARKNESS that most frightens us.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Marianne Williamson
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.
It was around 3 years old when Haven started to be in wonder of the concept of superheroes. He’d hear about the stories of Spiderman and Star Wars and though he could barely understand them, he could instantly connect with wanting to have a superpower. Every night, he’d say “Dada, tell me another story about Star Wars.” Or “Dada, tell me about the Avengers.” And then I realized that it wasn’t just Haven, but every kid his age was either into superheroes and/or princesses.
What if we were created to wonder about the supernatural because that is a part of the DNA that God created within us? What if the thought of superheroes and having crazy imaginations wasn’t just for kids but also adults? Oh wait, yeah, there’s Star Wars, and umm…Marvel, Harry Potter…and the list goes on and on. Yeah, adults love superheroes too.
Could it be that we were wired to want the supernatural? To be supernatural? I believe the reason that the movie series are so popular is because there’s a deep longing for something more in our souls. And I believe that our society, and even our church, has often missed the mark cultivating this in our lives.
Isn’t it interesting that the very thing that we don’t see cultivated in the typical education system is what people spend most of their free time watching? Like, other people being superheroes in sports, movies, entertainment, music—living out their own version of their superpower.
I believe what we’ve seen as examples of people living out their own “superhero” journey in our society is a very small subset and example of what could actually be.
I believe that most of us are living a lesser version of ourselves than what God has intended us to live; and it’s not our fault. Our society doesn’t encourage new thinking nor give us a place to cultivate the inner superhero that God has created us to be. We are often told that watching cartoons and playing with toys are things that kids do and we need to “grow up.”
Can I challenge you with this: That deep inside your soul, when the most amazing Creator made you, He didn’t just make you as a puppet that was supposed to blindly serve and tell more people about Him, but rather, He made you an amazing creator as well. One in His own image. And who He made you to be is an extremely unique, powerful and beautiful gift to give to the world. And I believe that one of God’s deepest desire is to see His creation whom He created fully alive and doing exactly what He created them do, because that gives him glory.
So how do we start stepping into the destiny of who God created us to be?
Through connecting with the creator/Creator inside of us.
Some of you might be thinking, “I’m not creative” or “I’m not good at crafting or making stuff.” That’s not exactly what I’m talking about. Do you know that when God created this world, before it was formed and before it was spoken, that it was a thought in his mind? The world was created in His imagination. All kids have an amazing imagination when they are young. And all kids (and adults) have been created the ability to create. You were once a kid and you can create too!
Whether you realize it or not, you are creating all the time with your words, your thoughts and your actions.
But our ability to create becomes exponentially more powerful when we can learn to create with our imagination and connect with the inner child inside of us that God created us to be.
So i’m going to tell you a secret to start your journey of connecting with the kid inside of you:
PLAY
“What?!? So you’re telling me to become a superhero I need to start by playing?”
Yes.
Play. Start by doing something that makes your heart come alive. Play or do something and become fully present in that activity, without judgement and without any reservations. Once we learn full acceptance of ourselves playing or doing something that we love as a kid, we can start to connect to the inner child and enter into alignment with the creator inside of us.
Why play?
- Play helps to challenge old assumptions and makes us more open to new ideas. It gives us permission to imagine again.
- Play is an antidote to stress, and this is key because stress, in addition to being an enemy of productivity, can actually shut down the creative, inquisitive, exploratory parts of our brain.
Just like Clark Kent tearing off his work clothes, throwing away his disguised role as a news reporter and changing into Superman, I believe that its time the people of God tear off their disguised roles as powerless peasants and step into their destiny as powerful sons and daughters of the king who change the world.
Let’s do our part by learning to how to play again.