Wednesday, February 28, 2007

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 frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' 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 people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."


-Marianne Williamson

I wanted to share this quote today because it is so powerful and moving. Many people do not understand the meaning of this quote, or the meaning of what it means to be afraid of 'success', and so I will share my thoughts on that.

We are, indeed, afraid that we are powerful beyond measure, because that means we are responsible and accountable for the use of our talents. We are expected to DO something with the gifts that God has given us. We can never understand why God has blessed us with our gifts, any more than we can understand why he tests us with our crosses and failings.

The thought that God has given us an incredible gift, and that we are expected to use it, is terrifying. If you have the gift of leadership, how will you use that gift to the Glory of God? We are not afraid that we will fail at leadership, we are afraid that we have to rise to the occasion and use that gift. We are afraid that we can, indeed, be powerful beyond measure, because when we use God's gifts for His glory, we simpyl cannot fail. But to do that means that we have to use the gifts for Him. We often want to use our gifts for our own wishes, our own needs.

We can serve ourselves, or we can serve God. God gives his gifts freely - and we can use them as we choose. We are afraid. As Adam and Eve were afraid in the Garden of Eden, so we are afraid to step forward and admit our own selfishness, our own fear, our own misgivings. How beautiful to step into the light of Christ and freely use our gifts to serve others, to serve God.

We are powerful beyond measure. But when we don't use our gifts to their fullest potential - to their 'highest and best use' - we are like a small child with a powerful tool. We have no way to know what to do with it, and can barely manage to handle it. Only when we are enlightened to its use, to God's need for it, can we master it.

Of course, I may be wrong. But that is what I think it means.

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