The more people there are- the lonelier it gets."
-jj thames.
Have you ever been in a room full of people, and felt all alone? It happens to me all the time. More now, than ever. Its not because of my recent break up, either. Its this consistent position of "not fitting in"..."not being part of the group"...Being the odd man out. It's the life of a leader. We aren't "fitter-inners"...we are "trend-setters", "visionaries" and "trail-blazers" who are largely misunderstood, feared, taken advantage of, hated, despised, used, and disregarded as, "dreamers", "crazy", "eclectic", or "extra".
I am a leader, always have been- and I have come to realize that there are many of us who want to be leaders...but, don't want to pay the price. Leaders who are truly leading, typically are taking people where they are not and often to where they've never been before. This tends to be an unpopular notion-against the grain. "outlandish", ridiculed, laughed at (not with, as one would prefer), "weird", and sometimes incites fear- which incites anger and persecution.
The adage, "It's lonely at the top", is very true. Most often, people don't understand you, your vision, your thinking, your direction, your gifts, callings, or talents. Then, they have no desire to walk with you during the journey...but, they'll be back again- once success comes. (and it will- if you are diligent, disciplined, and consistent on your journey, and in your message.) That sometimes can leave a kinda sour taste in your mouth...like, "oh! so, you can't be there when I needed someone to support me, and encourage me during the journey, but...you want to take part of the success??"...yep. that's how it goes...
As a leader, people just wont get it. they will leave you all alone in your darkest hour, and will return when the sun cant help but shine down on you, and blessings are overflowing you. Everybody wants to be part of a successful career, business, story..etc. So get over it. You want to be great? Its going to be lonely. Its going to be hard work. There will be heartbreak. There will be that person who talked about you, told everybody you would never make it, "who do you think you are??"...etc. etc. that will then make it their business to tell the whole world when everything comes full circle...that they practically made you...and that they always knew that you would be a GREAT success...shrug* Its all just part of it.
Comfort zones have never produced anything great and powerful.
The price of the anointing (God on flesh doing those things that flesh cannot do- God doing through people like us, what we couldn't do on our own) is always brokenness and loneliness. It is the anointing that changes people's lives, and destroys the yoke of oppression of the enemy from around our necks. (Isaiah 10:27) Just as the word Christ is not just another name for Jesus but is defined as “the Anointed One,” Christians means more than just followers of Jesus. It means “the anointeds.”
If you are “in Christ,” there is an anointing for everything you are called to do, no matter how small or how great the task. That’s why the Apostle Paul could say, “I can do all things through Christ (the Anointed and His Anointing) which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
More than anything...I want to do and be EVERYTHING God has called me to be, and for His anointing on my life, my voice, my writings... to be what He uses to set captives free. I've run away from that calling time and time again throughout my life...I'm done running away from it..I'm done trying to find and surrounding myself with someone(s) and/or something(s) to ease the "aloneness" and the "un-fitting-in-ness". I'm done trying to drag everybody with me into the promise land that I see in my mind's eye, trying desperately to convince them that its just over yonder-encouraging them to just come with me...build with me, share in my dream- While they secretly make plans to beat me, handle and manipulate me, snatch my coat of favor (my connections, ideas, resources, and experience) and throw me in a ditch to die. Instead, I embrace the loneliness, brokenness, rejection, and discomfort that come with being a leader. No more distractions, If I must...I choose to walk alone. I am anointed to do this. I will do this. If everyone else forsakes me...God never will.
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
“So don’t be afraid: I’m with you." Isaiah 43:1-5 (MSG)
#newbeginnings #leadership #destinycalls #happygirljj #iwillnotbemoved #eyeswideopen #lessonlearned #growth #refinement #goodmorning #lonely #newrecord2016 #newbook2016
-jj thames.
Have you ever been in a room full of people, and felt all alone? It happens to me all the time. More now, than ever. Its not because of my recent break up, either. Its this consistent position of "not fitting in"..."not being part of the group"...Being the odd man out. It's the life of a leader. We aren't "fitter-inners"...we are "trend-setters", "visionaries" and "trail-blazers" who are largely misunderstood, feared, taken advantage of, hated, despised, used, and disregarded as, "dreamers", "crazy", "eclectic", or "extra".
I am a leader, always have been- and I have come to realize that there are many of us who want to be leaders...but, don't want to pay the price. Leaders who are truly leading, typically are taking people where they are not and often to where they've never been before. This tends to be an unpopular notion-against the grain. "outlandish", ridiculed, laughed at (not with, as one would prefer), "weird", and sometimes incites fear- which incites anger and persecution.
The adage, "It's lonely at the top", is very true. Most often, people don't understand you, your vision, your thinking, your direction, your gifts, callings, or talents. Then, they have no desire to walk with you during the journey...but, they'll be back again- once success comes. (and it will- if you are diligent, disciplined, and consistent on your journey, and in your message.) That sometimes can leave a kinda sour taste in your mouth...like, "oh! so, you can't be there when I needed someone to support me, and encourage me during the journey, but...you want to take part of the success??"...yep. that's how it goes...
As a leader, people just wont get it. they will leave you all alone in your darkest hour, and will return when the sun cant help but shine down on you, and blessings are overflowing you. Everybody wants to be part of a successful career, business, story..etc. So get over it. You want to be great? Its going to be lonely. Its going to be hard work. There will be heartbreak. There will be that person who talked about you, told everybody you would never make it, "who do you think you are??"...etc. etc. that will then make it their business to tell the whole world when everything comes full circle...that they practically made you...and that they always knew that you would be a GREAT success...shrug* Its all just part of it.
Comfort zones have never produced anything great and powerful.
The price of the anointing (God on flesh doing those things that flesh cannot do- God doing through people like us, what we couldn't do on our own) is always brokenness and loneliness. It is the anointing that changes people's lives, and destroys the yoke of oppression of the enemy from around our necks. (Isaiah 10:27) Just as the word Christ is not just another name for Jesus but is defined as “the Anointed One,” Christians means more than just followers of Jesus. It means “the anointeds.”
If you are “in Christ,” there is an anointing for everything you are called to do, no matter how small or how great the task. That’s why the Apostle Paul could say, “I can do all things through Christ (the Anointed and His Anointing) which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
More than anything...I want to do and be EVERYTHING God has called me to be, and for His anointing on my life, my voice, my writings... to be what He uses to set captives free. I've run away from that calling time and time again throughout my life...I'm done running away from it..I'm done trying to find and surrounding myself with someone(s) and/or something(s) to ease the "aloneness" and the "un-fitting-in-ness". I'm done trying to drag everybody with me into the promise land that I see in my mind's eye, trying desperately to convince them that its just over yonder-encouraging them to just come with me...build with me, share in my dream- While they secretly make plans to beat me, handle and manipulate me, snatch my coat of favor (my connections, ideas, resources, and experience) and throw me in a ditch to die. Instead, I embrace the loneliness, brokenness, rejection, and discomfort that come with being a leader. No more distractions, If I must...I choose to walk alone. I am anointed to do this. I will do this. If everyone else forsakes me...God never will.
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
“So don’t be afraid: I’m with you." Isaiah 43:1-5 (MSG)
#newbeginnings #leadership #destinycalls #happygirljj #iwillnotbemoved #eyeswideopen #lessonlearned #growth #refinement #goodmorning #lonely #newrecord2016 #newbook2016
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