This weekend we watched the movie Defiance. It’s a World War II movie, based on a true story. Honestly it is not the type of movie I’m usually drawn to, but the story has stuck with me. It is the story of the Bielskis, brothers who lead a forest community of Jews in what has been called “the largest armed rescue operation of Jews by Jews in World War II” (amazon.com review of Defiance: The Bielski Partisans). The brothers fight for and protect their people, and are successful despite unbelievable odds. They are flawed and unlikely heroes (aren’t most heroes flawed and unlikely?), yet the descendants of those they helped save now number in the tens of thousands.
And I wonder how the world would be different if these brothers hadn’t stepped up in such a big way. What if they had refused leadership? Refused to fight? What if they had held back, too afraid or unsure to offer themselves?
Most of us don’t feel like our lives are lived on such a grand scale as the Bielskis. Our day to day lives don’t seem to have that kind of impact. We don’t see any opportunities for heroism in our routines and duties. So it feels okay to hold back, to pass through life on auto-pilot. You can tell that most people are holding back…you see it in their eyes, hear it in their words. For goodness sake, you see it in their hunched up, eyes down, don’t-notice-me posture.
I believe this is a big mistake. You are important. You matter. Your life, which to you can seem mundane and dull, matters. This is not just “feel good, positive psychology.” It is truth. What you do, how you live matters. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are God’s creation, knit together by His hand, fearfully and wonderfully made. He has made us and He has tasks that we were specifically made to do. Not just “we” as in a large group of people, but you. He has things that He has specifically made for you to do, opportunities that only you can fulfill. So it is important, vitally important, that you step up and stop holding back.
There are two main ways that people hold back. Some people hold back by hiding. They may believe that they have nothing special to offer, nothing really to share. In small groups they are quiet, unsure of what to add or contribute. They sit on the sidelines and watch. Others hide by pretending, by faking it. Have you ever been in an argument with someone and the phone rings? One of you answers, using your “everything is fine, so glad you called” voice. Well, the pretenders live their life sharing only that voice. They may lead groups, they may speak up, but they are sharing only what they think people want to hear. Neither one is offering their true self; both are holding back.
People have a lot of good reasons for hiding. Offering your true self, your heart, your courage, and your strength can be terrifying. It is a vulnerable act, and it is extremely risky. People may mock you, they may discourage you, they may misunderstand you. Look at David and Goliath. David was stepping up in a big way when he offered to fight Goliath. He was a boy, not even a soldier, and in front of an army of men he offered to fight the giant. Goliath mocked David, but I bet the words from his older brother struck even deeper “Why have you come down here? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is” (1 Samuel 17:28). But David did not let these words stop him. He stepped up, he refused to hold back, and God used him to slay the giant. I wonder what giants could be slain if more of us were willing to step up.
And so I challenge you to look at your life. Where are you holding back? Where are you hiding or pretending instead of offering yourself? What relationship are you holding back in, reluctant to pursue a deeper connection or confront an issue? What gift are you afraid to share? Where are you tempted to act small? Where do you want to speak up, to offer yourself, but hesitate? What is stopping you?
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