It's so easy to think, especially when you write, that you have nothing to share when you pick up that pen. You can feel tempted to speak about what everyone else speaks about, because you see no value to the world in your own experience. The truth is, even if there's no value in your words for this ever changing world with its frittering fancies, your words have value to God, and when you write them down honestly they can help you to see who you are, where you are, your strong points, your weaknesses, areas in which you can relate with others and what makes you different.
No one will live the life you live. No one will feel the experiences you do in exactly the same way, but the guarantee is when you share your experience someone somewhere will relate. Someone will be encouraged by what you have to say and the way you see things. Someone's perspective will be changed by what you have to say. Someone's life may even be changed by what you have to say....
It's amazing how God can work through what we discard as nothing at times.
A few hours ago I watched this interview with Kendrick Lamar where a broad range of questions were thrown at him. One in particular was why he changed his moniker from K dot to Kendrick Lamar. He said,
'When people heard K dot, they was like...the kid is dope, he could rap but....who is he? You know what I mean. That went on for years. Just another cat in the street that can rap good, right? So I was like you know what. I want people to know who I am as a person and what I represent. So I woke up one morning. I said, 'Look, the best way to start it off is, get with me. My name change, my real name. Something my mother been calling me for years. And this is who I am and I'ma start putting it on records....(it) transcended where I'm putting it on records and it represent me and people accept it, 'cus they can relate. And that was just a mindstate. I felt like, what is an artist if they don't know who they are, the biggest people (that) you felt like you could relate to their story....?
To be real. Why is it so hard. To break out of that shell and accept ourselves for who God made us to be.
We are not clones. We are not just knock offs without value so we have to aspire to be the next Jay Z, the next Russell Simmons, or the next Obama. We don't have to erect religious idols either saying we'd love to be this Christian leader or that scholar. We were fearfully and wonderfully made, and that should be enough.
Many don’t realise well known people struggle with their self-worth too. A lot of these people are slaves to public opinion, positions and possessions. But Jesus came to free us from all that, so we could find our true value…in him.
Today I watched two rappers named Akala and Lowkey do separate Fire in the Booth sessions with Charlie Sloth. Akala was very good at presenting his views on society, how history and books should affect us and how we shouldn't just fall into the stereotypes. Lowkey's strength was wordplay. After hearing Lowkey freestyle on BBC Radio I looked into myself and felt really challenged.
'This man can freestyle so good', I thought, 'but he doesn’t promote what I believe in. He's of a different faith group to me'. Immediately I started looking for his weaknesses. The demon of envy had come up behind me trying to lock me in a chokehold. Then wisdom and revelation spoke. 'There will always be someone better at something than you. But the answer isn't to jump into their arena of giftedness and try to be the best in that area. The answer is to stick to your lane and be who God called you to be'. Slowly Envy skulked away and I was free to appreciate this man's gift, and understand there also was a lane for me because God had carved it.
God's carved it, so I have a race to run. Time to find inspiration, whilst running my lane and being true to who he's made me to be.......
