Who makes the cut for your inner circle? Who gets access to the most real version of you? Can you name those few you choose to do life with through every season?
It always intrigues me to consider the ones Jesus chose for His inner circle. Throngs of folks followed Him everywhere His feet trekked. Some of those followers possessed extraordinary financial resources. Others were well-known for impressive accomplishments in their areas of expertise. These individuals could have bankrolled Jesus’ ministry and provided unlimited entry into arenas of power and position. Choosing them would have made perfect sense.
But when it came to selecting those twelve people in whom to make His grandest investments, Jesus didn’t look for talent, means, or accomplishment. (NONE of His carefully chosen disciples carried exceptional ability!) Jesus didn’t concern Himself with where they came from or the severity of any failure littering their past.
Jesus didn’t give a rip about their socio-economic bracket. Surprisingly, He didn’t even prioritize their level of maturity in spiritual matters. NONE of the world’s usual criteria for success fazed Jesus as He selected His tribe.
So what was Jesus’ prerequisite for His pack? What one thing mattered more than anything else? Study it, and you’ll discover that Jesus chose the hungriest hearts. (Yep, that’s it! That’s the truth!)
Jesus knew that when we hunger, we are driven by an eagerness, even a desperation for more of whatever makes us hungry. From this place of craving more of Him, Jesus can take the “nobodies” and make them the “somebodies” everyone wants to become.
I know, I know. Everything around you tells you that to make it in this world, you’ve got to jump through certain prescribed hoops and be this certain kind of person. But hear me!
You are NOT what you have.
You are NOT what you do.
You are NOT what you look like.
YOU ARE who God says you are!
If you will get hungry, even famished for Him instead of fighting to fit in with the world, you’ll soon discover that you are becoming the “somebody” everyone else wants to know and become.
Listen, Friend! The folks you have been following are not showing you the way. They are simply following the people in front of them who don’t know who they are, either.
If you’ll chase hard after the One who knows you better than anyone else does…after the One who leads you to authentic greatness, you’ll find yourself becoming the “somebody” you’ve been looking for. You won’t suffer the pain of regret at the end of this journey. You’ll leave a mark that lasts beyond you! Significance will be your legacy!
Be you. Be His. Be His you! Be the “somebody” into whom He can pour Himself so you can actually live large enough to not only change you, but also change the world around you!
For comments or prayer, contact Dr. Lanier at www.HopeCommunityChurch.tv.
