Pastor and author Erwin McManus said at the Global Leadership Summit on Friday, August 12 that the greatest battles we ever fight are the ones within us, the ones that rage within our souls.
Erwin’s stepdad called him “just average,” words that echoed inside him for years. Erwin was haunted with the idea that he may not live up to his potential.
God gives us intention and purpose and significance, but Erwin said he has known too many people with so much potential yet their lives never lived up to it. Why? Because so many of us hold onto the status quo, trying to conform and belong and fearing failure. What we need to ask ourselves is this: How can I become the person I was created to be?
Some key points from Erwin’s talk:
*How many of us have “settled” in our lives because we didn’t have enough confidence or never pushed ourselves, or are saving our best for the next life?
*Erwin said he is amazed how many people need permission to get started on something, but almost no one needs permission to quit. How many of us have confused those moments where we thought we failed but we actually quit on an idea or passion?
*Erwin faced cancer in his life, which was a sobering experience, and yet he said all of us are dying. Most of us don’t act with urgency. We think we have all the time in the world. We should act as if we don’t get this day back, this opportunity. The moments you have should be treated as sacred and essential.
*Some of you are living your life in fear. You need to step through your fears. Too many people say they have faith and are paralyzed by fear. Death is supposed to be behind you. Jesus puts death behind you. The only thing in front of you is life. If you don’t deal with paralyzing fear you will never live the life God intended.
*So many of us only have the structure to lead when the world is at peace and when life is easy. Leadership is not about living in the confines of your fear. Leaders don’t run from the fire, they run into the fire. Your freedom is on other side of your fears. What you fear has mastery over your life. If you're afraid of heights you stay low. If you’re afraid of crowds, you stay alone.
*Only in relationship to God can we understand that perfect love casts out all fear. It is only God who destroys that fear and sets you free in his love. Every other master is a cruel master and will steal your life away.
*A lot of us think our pain is the boundary of our limitation. Your pain is the boundary of your greatness. Your greatness is on the other side of your pain. We need to learn how to walk in our pain. When you don’t grow up in an easy life, you learn how to walk in your pain.
*Pain is not the limitation of our life. Some people are so afraid to live life again after difficult times or heartbreak. They are crushed by the rubble of failure. Their pain is not the limit of their life. You have to be wiling to go through the pain to step into your greatness.
*Many of you are going through pain right now. For many people pain will define them. When you live a life of faith, commit to the God who created you. When you understand his son Jesus stepped into human history, died, was mocked and humiliated and tortured — if Jesus communicates anything, it’s that pain is not the end of the story. For Jesus, his greatness was on the other side of his pain.
*God didn’t come into human history to give you and me a way out of pain. He came to gave us a way through the pain. We are to step in and walk in that pain and trust that God has something extraordinary on the other side of your wounds and scars. Not only is freedom on the other side, but your future is on the other side of your failures.
*People define you using your worst moment. God defines you by his best moment. He sees in you a greatness you cannot see in yourself. He sees in you a future you can’t imagine.
*In the midst of trying a new business venture, Erwin had a leader say to him: “You better not fail.” Erwin began to carry the burden of failing. Then someone wise told him: 'It’s impossible for you to fail. You already have a story worth telling.' When you are living in a story bigger than your own, failure just enhances the story. If you are experiencing failure, you should be honored. God is ready to do something great.
*Erwin said he has known heartbreak, betrayal and disappointment. He’s had moments when he said to God: I don’t know if I can take this anymore. We’ve got to stop pretending that faith makes life easier. Your faith makes you stronger. Your faith is not a way out sacrifice. It’s fuel to step into your pain and fear and failure.
