What we can learn from the 'underdogs' of the Bible
One thing I've realized is that being different doesn't disqualify you from a dynamic life. It prepares you. The goal of this book is to get you to see that living out of the box isn't always a bad thing. Embracing the misfit in you is the open door to a very exciting journey.
The Bible is full of stories of misfits. A little shepherd boy named David took on a giant with a slingshot. Common fishermen became disciples. You might remember the Sunday school flannel board and the teacher who told dramatic stories about underdogs who did mighty things. We marvel that the Bible is full of misfits, and maybe that is what makes the stories so powerful. Think about David or Daniel or Peter or Paul. They embraced their inner misfits. So why don't we?
Even though we can celebrate the underdog in the Bible, we often hide from the fact that God is looking for that same quality in us. He's looking for people who don't have it all together but are willing to let God take their lives and run with them. What if we can be those kinds of people? What if we can use our unqualified status as the start to bigger dreams and a life of redemption? That's the desire of this book.
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My passion is that we will look in the mirror, see who we are, and embrace it so we can progress down the road of life. There are dreams to be dreamed through the process of being a misfit, and those dreams lead us and others toward redemption. James 1:23-25 describes the Word of God as a mirror:
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-they will be blessed in what they do.
God wants us to look into the mirror of His Word so that we can know exactly who we are. The Word of God shows us not only who we are, but what we can become. What happens when we look at our lives and measure them up to His Word? We realize we fall short. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The reflection of the Word of God shows us the blemishes, the hypocrisy, the million ways we seem to miss the target.
Even though we miss the mark, God's incredible love uses us despite the fact we fall short. The standard reveals how much God uses us despite ourselves. He loves us even when we don't like the person we see. Then, by His grace He uses us in our weakness as a gift to the world. Grace. It inspires us to use our weakness to make a difference.
The mirror of God's Word exposes the misfits that we are. It exposes our selfishness, our flesh, and our wandering ways. It exposes our incredible shortcomings. But we have a choice: we can be inspired by the challenge to become more, or be crushed by how far we have to go. Can we be honest? It hurts when we see the misfit in us compared to God's standard. In spite of it, God shows us who we are out of His incredible love. He reminds us just how much He loves to use misfits who surrender their will to His perfect plan. God is not looking to use a perfect person, but rather the fully surrendered one.
We live in a world that likes to play the "Gotcha" game-to catch people in their lies and look for a way to trap others in their inconsistencies. We see it in politics, celebrity life, and everyday family encounters. Humans often reveal the weaknesses of others in order to expose and shame one another.
God, on the other hand, wants to show us our weaknesses—who we really are—so He can take us somewhere brand-new. Being honest about being a misfit is the open door to usefulness. God is not interested in our perfection as much as our vulnerability.
Matthew Barnett is the Co-Founder of the Los Angeles Dream Center and Senior Pastor of Angelus Temple. A dedicated husband and father of two, Matthew has spent the past 25 years addressing the local needs of communities in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Dream Center is a faith-based non-profit dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals and families in the City of Los Angeles through residential and outreach programs. What started out as a desire to serve those in need, has now grown with their leadership into a global movement of love and service with nearly 100 Dream Centers helping communities worldwide. To learn more about the work of the Dream Center, click here.
