I have been pondering two conversations I have recently had with some remarkable women, I am struck by their answers to my question, "What have you learned about yourself that is remarkable?"
One woman said, "I'm just a sinner saved by grace. God has done all the work. He is the remarkable one."
The other one said, "I have learned that I am able to do the hard work others are not willing to do. I didn't realize that was remarkable until I saw how it changed my life and helped others around me. I think that is remarkable."
Which answer is remarkable?
Both- you might say! And you would be right ... to a degree. One recognizes work that God has done on her behalf, the other sees how the work she is doing is influencing her world.
Both are remarkable answers- when they are paired together!
The problem I often see is, we use the first answer when we don't want to be seen. We put forth an air of humility, "It's not me, it's God." But I wonder. Is it so that God gets the credit for the good that we have done, or so we don't get blamed if what we did was not good enough.
Ouch!
Does that sound rather blunt?
I hope so. I meant it to be so. I have had it said to me in a way that made me think hard about why I could not say "I am remarkable".
In my own story, I have been guilty of 'putting on airs'. I meant to be humble and grateful for what God had done in my life. But in my pious humility, I was acting as though what I did didn't matter. But it does!
Who I am and what at I do are part of what God has done!
He created you- and me - just the way we are, with the story we have and the platform to influence that we have FOR A REASON.
"The Glory of God is Man/Woman Fully Alive."
We're not just a sinner. We're not just saved by grace. We have been redeemed and transformed. And it is when we live out of that transformation that truly remarkable things happen in us, and through us.
When we stop comparing ourselves to others and recognize the miracle God did when he created us, then redeemed us and in doing so transformed us- we can't help but BE who He made us to be.
Remarkable!
Making our difference in our part of the world.
Do you OWN what God made remarkable about you?
I'm looking for 100 remarkable women to participate in study I am doing to help me prepare materials that are useful to you. Would you be willing to answer a few questions about the ways you see 'remarkable' in your story?
Fill out the form below. I already filled in some of the blanks. Just let me know where to send the questions. Then look for an email from kathy@kathyburrus.com. Thank you!