The Prodigy In Me

We are doing a series at church called “The Prodigy In Me”. As God always does, He brings things to light so that it can be used for His glory. It was through Pastor Furtick’s message last week (www.elevationexperience.com) that I realized how my low view of myself was really a reversed form of pride. Allow me to explain.

Pastor did a terrific job at helping us realize that we all have a prodigy inside of us. Prodigy meaning: someone having extraordinary talent; a marvelous example of; something wonderful, you get the picture. Anyway, through that message I realized this to be true about myself as well. However, another truth was exposed through the message that day and every day since then. My caution of being seen as prideful, arrogant and overly confident caused me to press down the prodigy in me; which are the gifts God has given for His glory, and that is really a reverse form of pride.

See, this form of humility causes me to think less of myself than I should and the pride I wanted to avoid was thinking more of myself than I should. Both are PRIDE, and both hinder the gifts GOD placed in me and YOU. God gives us gifts and talents to exalt Him and be used for Him. So who am I not to use them because of thinking too much of myself in either way. I should have God confidence in what I have been gifted to do and do it with complete abandon. I love this poem and I think it speaks to what I am trying to convey here.

Our Deepest Fear
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.
Marianne Williamson