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Daily Recharge
Mal Fletcher
Your Work Should Not Be Your Life
08 May 2024
Romans 12:3 'Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.' (NLT)
According to the Bible, your work should never become your life. The modern cult of celebrity is built on half truths. All people know about celebrities is what they see of them when they are functioning in the area of the greatest gift. We all have special gifts, things that we excel in. Imagine other people only ever saw you when you were doing that one special thing? They would only see you at your very best. That may sound attractive, but before long you would begin to feel very guilty about the other areas of your life where you are not so strong. In our areas of weakness, we need the support and understanding of others. Without that we can become very isolated. In the end, if people only see the best side of us, they place expectations on us which we cannot possibly fulfill. When that happens, relationships become very difficult to sustain, and so does a well-balanced self-image. That's what celebrity can do. Kurt Cobaine wrote in his suicide letter: 'I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music....for too many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things ... I don't have the passion anymore....'. He described himself as a 'miserable, self-destructive, death rocker.' We should never conceal our weaknesses in an effort to hide behind an image. Real living is about facing up to not just who we are but who God has destined us to become; with a faith that pushes us to become something even greater for him.
Prayer: 'Father, I don't need to hide behind an image of perfection. I know that you have called me even in my weakness, to become something great. Help me to know what I am called to be and not to compromise that by being preoccupied with my image before others.'
© Mal Fletcher 2003-2004
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