Out of the Shadows by Paul Wilson, Jr.

My favorite poem is “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson. I love this creative masterpiece because she powerfully articulates our privilege and responsibility to live as the incredibly awesome individuals that God created us to be. He designed us fearfully and wonderfully in His image (Psalm 139), so we need to better understand and embrace what His expectations are. Here’s an excerpt of the poem…
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, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.


Some of you may remember a part of this poem from the movie Akeelah and the Bee. In it a very bright and naturally talented young girl was hesitant to do the hard work to fully explore her potential and pursue her greatness. She was content to hide in the shadows of her own greatness.

Sadly, the struggle of that fictional character is all too common in real life. Many people are hiding in the shadows of their own greatness. Erwin McManus says, “I see everyone as pre-great.” It’s unfortunate, though, that most people stop at “pre-great”, and never get to great.

There could be multiple reasons for this. One reason is they are afraid of the accountability that comes with being in the limelight. Because once your greatness is exposed, you can’t go backwards. You can’t go back into the shadows.

When you excel at what you do best and demonstrate a genuine passion for it, you will be a light – a positive force in the world. We need you to shine your brightest in your area of expertise. When you are not shining, the world is missing out on the unique gifts, talents, and experiences that you bring to the table. Furthermore, God didn’t create you to hide. He created you to shine like a light on a hill (Matthew 5:14-16); and He is going to hold you accountable for how well you utilized what He gave you (Matthew 25:14-30).

Don’t use being afraid of the limelight as an excuse not to be your best and pursue your greatness. If your talents and passions lead you to get attention, don’t focus on the limelight. Instead focus on being a light. And you can’t be a light in the shadows.


Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.
www.DreamBIGin3D.com

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